Thursday, January 10, 2019
JANUARY 10, 2019
NEWS AND VIEWS
THE NATURE OF THE “SEXUAL VIOLENCE,” HAS FINALLY SURFACED, UNLESS THIS IS A SECOND CASE, HEAVEN FORBID. I SAID YESTERDAY THAT “VIOLENCE” WAS NOT INVOLVED, BUT THIS TIME IT IS THERE FRONT AND CENTER. BERNIE HAS HAD TO APOLOGIZE AGAIN TODAY, AND IT DOESN’T LOOK GOOD. I HOPE HE DOESN’T LOSE HIS POSITION OVER THIS. I HAVE YET TO HEAR THAT HE PERSONALLY HAS EVER BEEN ABUSIVE, AND HE DOESN’T HAVE THAT HYPERMASCULINE APPEARANCE ABOUT HIM. I THINK HE CAN RELATE TO WOMEN, SEXUALLY AND SOCIALLY, ON A BASIS THAT DOES NOT INVOLVE THE NECESSITY TO DOMINATE. PROGRESSIVES OUT THERE, HOPE ALONG WITH ME FOR HIS FUTURE. ONE THING DOES NEED TO HAPPEN, HOWEVER. ROBERT BECKER NEEDS TO BE REMOVED TOTALLY FROM HIS POSITION(S) IN THE CAMPAIGN. IN ADDITION, THE “PREDATORY CULTURE” NEEDS TO CEASE TO EXIST. IF HEADS DON’T ROLL OVER THINGS LIKE THIS, THAT WON’T HAPPEN. HAS BERNIE HAD THE MEETING REQUESTED WITH HIS STAFF? THAT DISTURBING TERM, “PREDATORY CULTURE,” SOUNDS BAD.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-46827557
Sanders apologises for 2016 campaign 'harassment' allegations
JANUARY 10, 2019 1 hour ago
Senator Bernie Sanders has apologised to female staff members on his 2016 US presidential campaign who allege they were harassed by a top aide.
"To women in our campaign who were harassed or mistreated, I apologise," the Vermont independent wrote in a statement on Twitter on Thursday.
His apology comes as he contemplates another White House campaign under the Democratic banner in 2020.
Several aides have complained of a "predatory culture" in his campaign.
What is the background?
On Wednesday, Politico reported that the deputy national field director for Mr Sanders' campaign forcibly kissed a younger subordinate in 2016.
"Candidates who allow people like Robert Becker to lead their organisations shouldn't earn the highest office in our government," said the woman, naming the aide.
The unnamed accuser said she never reported the alleged incident because it came on the same day that Mr Sanders' campaign ended after he failed to snatch the Democratic nomination from Hillary Clinton.
Is Bernie Sanders running for president?
Bernie's heir - who will lead the left in 2020?
She said she felt compelled to speak out after Mr Becker travelled to South Carolina in December on a trip to recruit future campaign workers for Mr Sanders.
RELATED:
Media captionSenator Bernie Sanders of Vermont: 'President is a pathological liar'
Mr Becker denies any harassment, and no criminal charges have been filed.
The allegation comes as dozens of his former Sanders campaign workers have signed a letter requesting a meeting with him "to discuss the issue of sexual violence and harassment on the 2016 campaign".
What did Sanders say?
Mr Sanders' Twitter apology comes after he said sorry on CNN last week "to any woman who felt that she was not treated appropriately".
He was criticised for saying he was "a little bit busy running around the country, trying to make the case" for his presidency, and was not aware of the allegations.
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To the women on my 2016 campaign who were harassed or mistreated, thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for speaking out. I apologize.
We can't just talk about ending sexism and discrimination. It must be a reality in our daily lives. That was clearly not the case in 2016.
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Claims of sexual harassment have recently dogged the campaign of Democratic Senator Kamala Harris, who may also enter the White House race.
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Image caption
Senator Harris has also been hit with claims of harassment by her deputies
Senator Harris has said she was "unaware" that a top aide paid a settlement of $400,000 (£314,000) in May 2017 to a woman who sued for sexual harassment.
The California senator's biography, which debuted last week, contains praise for the aide, who resigned after the payout was revealed.
Related Topics
Bernie SandersSexual harassmentUnited States
Bernie's heir - who will lead the left in 2020?
7 August 2018
Bernie Sanders stirs Texas crowd, is he running for something?
10 March 2018
THE NEXT SEVERAL STORIES FROM FRANCE ARE COLLECTED TO FIND THE PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AS EVIDENCED BY THE GROWING DISORDER. I HAVEN’T READ EVERY WORD IN THESE THREE ARTICLES, BUT I JUST WANTED TO SEE SPECIFICALLY WHAT THESE PROTESTORS ARE SO ANGRY ABOUT. THE IMMEDIATE CAUSE IS COST OF LIVING. PEOPLE ARE BEING FORCED OUT OF CITY HOUSING TO THE COUNTRYSIDE BY HIGH COSTS, AND IN THOSE PLACES A CAR IS NECESSARY. MACRON’S GOAL WITH THIS RECENT AND MOST HATED PRICE HIKE ON FUEL (A SHARP ONE, APPARENTLY) IS A SEVERE HARDSHIP ON DRIVERS. IT WAS DONE IN AN EFFORT TO FORCE DOWN THE PUBLIC’S USE OF FOSSIL FUEL AND PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT.
TWO THINGS I NOTICED ARE: THESE AREN’T JUST A BUNCH OF YOUNG VIOLENT YAHOOS RIOTING IN THE STREETS. IT’S ORGANIZED, AND THE “YELLOW VESTS” ARE DOING STRATEGIC THINGS LIKE SABOTAGING THE SPEED CONTROL CAMERAS. THAT’S EXPENSIVE FOR THE COUNTRY. THE FRENCH POPULACE DO HAVE A GENUINE PROBLEM.
MACRON, UNDERSTANDABLY, I BELIEVE, IS CONSIDERED BY MANY TO BE “OUT OF TOUCH” WITH THE PEOPLE, THEIR NEEDS, AND IT SEEMS TO ME, THE VALIDITY OF THIS TAXATION METHOD OF REDUCING FOSSIL FUEL USE. IT IS SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE WORLDWIDE, BUT NOT THIS WAY. PUNISHING THE POOREST IS NOT EVEN GOING TO REDUCE FUEL USE, I WOULDN’T THINK. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT WHAT MACRON NEEDS TO DO IS SOMEHOW COMMUNICATE WITH HIS PEOPLE VERBALLY AND PHILOSOPHICALLY, RATHER THAN FORCING THIS UNDEMOCRATIC CHANGE ON THEM, AND HE NEEDS TO TRY TO SOLVE THE TRANSPORTATION PROBLEMS. IF I WERE IN THAT SITUATION, I WOULD PREFER A FUEL RATION TO A HEAVY TAX. WHEN THE PUBLIC IS ALREADY IN DIRE STRAITS FINANCIALLY, WHY STRESS THEM FURTHER? ONE ARTICLE STATES THAT THERE IS EVEN A FEAR OF CIVIL WAR. MACRON NEEDS TO CHANGE HIS MODUS OPERANDI, IF ONLY FOR HIS OWN SAKE.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-46822472
Yellow vests knock out 60% of all speed cameras in France
JANUARY 10, 2019 5 hours ago
PHOTOGRAPH -- EPA
Image caption -- This speed camera in Nice, photographed in December, is one example of the damage
Members of the "yellow vests" protest movement have vandalised almost 60% of France's entire speed camera network, the interior minister has said.
Christophe Castaner said the wilful [sic] damage was a threat to road safety and put lives in danger.
The protest movement began over fuel tax increases, and saw motorists block roads and motorway toll booths.
Some protesters feel speed cameras are solely a revenue-generating measure which takes money from the poor.
The BBC's Hugh Schofield, in Paris, said evidence of the vandalism is visible to anyone driving around France, with radar cameras covered in paint or black tape to stop them working.
But the extent of the damage - now believed to affect more than half of all 3,200 speed cameras in the country's network - was unknown until Mr Castaner's statement on Thursday.
He said the devices had been "neutralised, attacked, or destroyed" by members of the protest movement.
The yellow vests movement, or gilets jaunes in French, is named after the high-visibility vests that every driver in the country must keep in their vehicle.
Who are the 'gilets jaunes'?
Les gilets jaunes: The full story
Speed limits in France were already controversial after the government lowered the limit on many main roads from 90km/h to 80 (50mph) early last year.
Protesters angry about the increase in fuel taxes complained of the rising costs of a commute for those priced out of living in urban centres - and turned their ire on other costs such as toll roads and speed cameras.
Image copyrightAFP
Image caption -- This plastic-motorbike combination was spotted in Corsica on 2 December
While the number of people attending weekend protests has dropped since the government made some small concessions, the conflict between the popular movement and the government remains a daily topic of debate in France.
Just this week, the prime minister announced a crackdown on unsanctioned protests, while a former boxer filmed punching police officers has divided public opinion, with some claiming he was defending other protesters from police.
And on Tuesday, the person picked to lead the country's planned "great debate" on the issues resigned over her €14,666 monthly salary (£13,200; $16,800).
SEE ALSO:
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-france-politics-fuel-blockades/yellow-vest-protests-block-fuel-depots-in-france-retailers-hit-idUSKCN1NO0XZ
FROM LAST DECEMBER 2018:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-03/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-protests-in-france/10576834
Everything you need to know about 'Les Gilets Jaunes' and the protests in France
By Greg Howard
Updated 3 Dec 2018, 3:36pm
PHOTO: The protests are referred to by many as the Yellow Vest movement. (Reuters: Benoit Tessier)
Last weekend was the third in a row of anti-government protests in France, as clashes in Paris between as many as 8,000 protesters and 5,000 police officers wielding tear gas, stun grenades and water cannons resulted in one death, at least 133 injuries and over 400 arrests.
Key points:
The protests began on November 17 in response to tax hikes on fuel to reduce emissions
Since then, three people have died in traffic accidents as protests blocked roads
In recent polls, between 70 and 80 per cent of French citizens supported the protests
The city's famed Champs-Elysees was overrun with violence, as many protesters — mostly young men, some in hoods and masks — looted storefronts and burned cars and debris.
Perhaps the best expression of the anger and frustration in the country could be seen at the Arc de Triomphe, which was defaced with graffiti reading messages including "Macron resign", "Overthrow the bourgeoisie!" and "Yellow Vests will triumph".
While the demonstrations outside the capital were largely peaceful, some are calling the protests the worst in over a decade and even anticipate the unrest leading to civil war.
Here's everything you need to know about the situation.
How did the protests start?
Protesters in bright yellow vests march on the street with a banner in Lyon, France, as a cyclist looks on
PHOTO: The taxes, designed to encourage the purchase of more environmentally friendly vehicles, were approved late last year but began to bite as oil prices surged in October. (AP: Laurent Cipriani)
French citizens took to the streets on November 17 (local time) to protest sharp fuel hikes on petrol and diesel levied to reduce emissions and push people toward more environmentally friendly vehicles.
The tax, which was approved in 2017, raised the price of petrol by 7.6 cents per litre on diesel and 3.9 cents per litre on petrol.
These taxes, combined with an October oil price surge, hit citizens' pockets hard.
A further hike is slated to hit on January 1, 2019, for a further 6.5 cents per litre on diesel and 2.9 cents per litre on petrol.
The protests were largely organised on social media, where they exploded in popularity without clear leadership.
A petition that began circulating online in May to lower fuel prices generated over 300,000 signatures by mid-October.
Demonstrators block a motorway exit to protest fuel tax in Marseille
PHOTO: Demonstrators block a motorway exit in Marseille to protest against fuel prices. (AP: Claude Paris)
And when truckers created a Facebook event in October to block roads to Paris on November 17, nearly 200,000 people replied they were interested.
Protesters blocked roads and highways, fuel depots, shopping centres, and some factories as an estimated 300,000 people nationwide took part in the first demonstration.
One protester was accidentally killed by a motorist on the day and 47 others were injured.
What are the protesters angry about?
A truck burns during a "yellow vest" protest on the Champs-Elysees in Paris.
PHOTO: A truck burns during a protest on the Champs-Elysees in Paris on November 24. (Reuters: Benoit Tessier)
Many citizens believe the fuel taxes, meant to help slow climate change, put an undue strain on the people.
Those who do not live in cities are reliant on cars to get around and say the new policies, set by the political elite, unfairly target and harm those outside of the country's urban conclaves.
City residents are concerned about rising taxes and costs forcing them to the suburbs, where they'll face the same problem.
"We are talking about cost of living and [French President Emmanuel] Macron is talking ecology," protester Joffre Denis told American publication Bloomberg.
The protests were originally about fuel prices but have grown and expanded to include other grievances and demands in response to declining living standards and higher cost of living in France.
Photograph -- Alexandre Benalla stands between French President Emmanuel Macron and a media pack
PHOTO: President Emmanuel Macron (right) has only 20 per cent support in France but is not up for re-election until 2022. (AP: Christophe Ena)
Famke Krumbmuller, a political consultant based in Paris, explained who was angry in an interview with American broadcaster NBC News.
"The white middle class, the forgotten middle class in France," he said.
Many in the country believe they have to pay high taxes but get little in return in the way of social benefits that are largely designed to aid the poor, and that they are being left behind by Mr Macron's policies.
In his 18 months in office, the centrist Mr Macron has been a target of ire from France's left and right, and his popularity was just 20 per cent nationwide before the protests even began in November.
The President was pegged as "President for the rich" by detractors after slashing the country's wealth tax last year.
Raising taxes on lower classes makes Mr Macron seem out of touch with much of France.
"Macron has a problem on his hands. Everyone's fed up. He's got to listen more," protester Amaya Fuster said.
What's with those yellow vests anyway?
Hundreds of protesters wearing yellow vests gather in a Paris street, one holds up the French flag
PHOTO: Some demonstrators held French flags and sang the national anthem during protests near the Champs-Elysees on December 1. (AP: Kamil Zihnioglu)
The yellow vests are the symbol of the current movement.
Motorists in France have been required since 2008 to keep the reflective, high-visibility vests — "les gilets jaunes" in French — in their vehicles.
The protests are referred to by many as the Yellow Vest movement, and most of the demonstrators throughout the country donned the vests before taking to the streets.
This includes those who defaced the world-renowned monuments.
"I've worked on monuments around Paris for 20 years and I've never seen anything like this at the Arc de Triomphe. It was carnage," a Paris City Hall official said while overseeing the Arc de Triomphe's clean-up.
French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said he was "shocked by the violence of such a symbol of France".
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VIDEO: The French Government is considering imposing a state of emergency. (ABC News)
French authorities are claiming extremists on the right and left and suburban "thugs" have infiltrated and hijacked protests with violence or egged on peaceful demonstrators.
But recent polls show around between 70 and 80 per cent of French citizens support the protests.
What happens now?
PHOTO: Demonstrators stand by graffiti at the base of the Arc de Triomphe. (AP: Thibault Camus)
Three people have been killed in relation to the protests since November 17.
Mr Macron, who was in Argentina on Saturday for the G20 Summit, addressed the protests at a press conference in Buenos Aires
"I will never accept violence," he said.
"No cause justifies that authorities are attacked, that businesses are plundered, that passers-by or journalists are threatened or that the Arc de Triomphe is defiled."
Protesters clash with riot police on the Champs-Elysee in Paris.
PHOTO: French security forces fear far-left and far-right extremists may infiltrate the demonstrations. (Reuters: Benoit Tessier)
He then returned to Paris to view the Arc de Triomphe and hold emergency meetings with French ministers.
And while French authorities are considering declaring a state of emergency, Mr Macron so far hasn't budged on lowering the taxes before January 1.
"What I've taken from these last few days is that we shouldn't change course because it is the right one and necessary," he said.
Still, the President allowed he would try to introduce action to adjust tax hikes when oil prices spiked, to ease the strain on French pockets.
It was a rare concession from Mr Macron, who isn't up for election until 2022.
VIDEO: French President Emmanuel Macron (centre) visits the sites of the riots (Photo: AP/Thibault Camus) (ABC News)
France's interior ministry said about 136,000 people participated in the protest nationwide last weekend, suggesting the demonstrations themselves may be dying down.
"The 'gilets jaunes' movement will probably peter out, but not the anger, which is likely to go on and take new forms maybe more dangerous for Macron," Jim Shields, a professor of French politics at Warwick University in the UK, told Bloomberg.
"It's hard to see how he can complete controversial reforms like pensions and unemployment insurance without yet more blood on the pavement."
ABC/wires
Topics: world-politics, unrest-conflict-and-war, government-and-politics, france
First posted 3 Dec 2018, 1:29am
IT SHOCKED ME WHEN I LEARNED SOME 50 YEARS AGO THAT A DISGUSTING NUMBER OF HITLER'S OFFICERS ENDED UP IN THE USA FOR KEEPS. AMERICA HAS DONE GOOD THINGS, BUT WE ARE BY NO MEANS PURE.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-46828006
Jakiv Palij: Nazi guard deported by US dies in Germany
JANUARY 10, 2019 47 minutes ago
PHOTOGRAPH -- Jakiw Palij pictured in his 1949 US visa photo
A former Nazi collaborator who served as a labour-camp guard in World War Two has died in Germany aged 95, local media report.
Jakiw Palij, who was thought to be the last Nazi collaborator living in the US, was deported to Germany last year after a lengthy legal battle.
Palij had been stateless since 2003 when a federal judge revoked his US citizenship over his Nazi links.
Reports say he died in a home for the elderly in the town of Ahlen.
Before his deportation, the former guard lived in the Queens borough of New York City.
His presence there, in a particularly diverse borough, became a point of contention when his past emerged.
His home was often picketed by protestors demanding his expulsion.
Palij's deportation case was resolved last year when Germany agreed to take him in - despite him not possessing German citizenship.
In August, the 95-year-old was taken from his home in a wheelchair and flown to Düsseldorf.
At the time Richard Grenell, the US ambassador to Germany, praised President Trump's leadership in helping to resolve the protracted legal dispute.
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former Nazi prison guard Jakiw Palij has died in Germany. I am so thankful to @realDonaldTrump for making the case a priority. Removing the former Nazi prison guard from the US was something multiple Presidents just talked about - but President Trump made it happen.
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What was he accused of?
Palij is believed to have been born in 1923, in an area of Poland that is now in Ukraine.
US authorities alleged he was trained in 1941 by Nazis to work at Trawniki - a camp in German-occupied Poland.
Image copyrightREUTERS
Image caption
There was anger among residents when it emerged Palij lived in the borough
The camp initially served as a holding centre for refugees and Soviet prisoners of war, but was eventually transformed by the SS into a training facility.
Nazi camp guard Demjanjuk dies
Demjanjuk guilty of murders
Man who saved Jews through football, dies
The thousands who trained there became known as Trawniki men - tasked with rounding up Jewish civilians from Poland and staffing killing centres at Sobibor, Treblinka and Belzec.
It also housed a forced labour camp where thousands of Jews died - including 6,000 who were killed in a single day in 1943.
US authorities accused Palij of being an armed guard at Trawniki, and said he played an "indispensible role" in ensuring Jews were killed.
Read more on the Holocaust:
The Holocaust year by year
Who are the missing million?
The hidden graves of the Holocaust
Palij himself denied collaborating with the Nazis - telling the New York Times in 2003 he worked for them in fear for his own family's safety. He also denied having ever set foot in a camp himself.
A US court ruled he had assisted in the persecution of prisoners, but did not find him personally responsible for deaths.
Citizenship battles
The former guard entered the US through Boston in 1949, allegedly under a law meant to help refugees fleeing post-war Europe, the Associated Press report.
He was eventually granted US citizenship in 1957, and held it until his past came to light decades later.
In 2004 he was ordered to leave the country - but ambiguity over his citizenship delayed deportation.
For 14 years US authorities could not persuade Germany, Ukraine or Poland to take him in.
But last year, it was announced the German position had changed.
He was given a residency permit using a technicality decree intended for humanitarian or political purposes, German media report.
However, after Palij's arrival, German officials cast doubt he would ever face prosecution over alleged war crimes - citing lack of evidence.
UP AGAINST THE WALL!! THREE ARTICLES
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-46815569
US shutdown: Border politicians oppose Trump's wall
JANUARY 10, 2019 9 hours ago
VIDEO -- Five questions about Trump's border wall
Politicians in Washington have had a lot to say about the merits or otherwise of a border wall thousands of miles away. But why are so many lawmakers based there against it?
There are nine members of the House of Representatives whose districts lie along the US-Mexico border.
It is perhaps not surprising that the eight Democrats oppose President Donald Trump's signature campaign pledge.
But the one Republican congressman - whose district stretches for 820 miles (1,320km) along the border - is also hostile.
Most of his party, including some senators and governors of states at the border, back the president.
These nine House representatives have intimate knowledge of the border and the issues arising from the movement of people - legal or otherwise - across it.
So what have they said?
Will Hurd, Texas Republican
"I think building a concrete structure sea to shining sea is the most expensive and least effective way to do border security," said Will Hurd, a Republican congressman whose district has the longest border with Mexico.
Congressman Hurd's 23rd Congressional District, which stretches from El Paso to Antonio, shares the largest border with Mexico of any member of Congress.
Mr Hurd, a former CIA agent who happens to be the only black Republican in the House of Representatives, has argued for a "smart border wall" which would be composed of sensors and other technology.
Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES
Image caption -- Will Hurd meets with constituents at the Fiesta San Antonio in 2017
"A Smart Wall would use sensor, radar and surveillance technologies to detect and track incursions across our border so we can deploy efficiently our most important resource, the men and women of Border Patrol, to perform the most difficult task - interdiction," he wrote in an op-ed in 2017.
Mr Hurd, who broke rank with Republicans to vote on a Democratic-led bill to reopen government, said after Mr Trump's speech on Tuesday: "If this is a crisis, the people that are dealing with this crisis should get paid."
Federal workers who are deemed "essential" such as border patrol agents, have been forced to work without pay as the shutdown continues.
Trump makes case for wall to the nation
Is there a crisis on the US-Mexico border?
Vicente Gonzalez, Texas Democrat
"It's a 4th Century solution to a 21st Century problem," said Congressman Vicente Gonzalez, whose district includes the border town of McAllen, which Trump plans to visit during the funding impasse.
"Nobody wants stronger border control than me," he told CBS.
But he opposes adding to the existing border wall because he does not "think it brings real border security and it comes at a major cost to taxpayers".
Henry Cuellar, Texas Democrat
Congressman Henry Cuellar, who represents Texas' 8th congressional district, believes $4bn is needed to modernise ports of entry, not for a wall which he says would only delay migrants by "a few minutes or a few seconds".
He adds that modern telecommunications for border agents, and funding to help Mexico secure it's own southern border, would also be helpful.
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Cities along #US-#MX #Border are safer than Washington, D.C. contrary to Republican claims. See latest @FBI data here regarding #ViolentCrime here: https://bit.ly/2Qui17T
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Ann Kirkpatrick, Arizona Democrat
The new Arizona congresswoman took office in early January as the representative for Arizona's 2nd District and has pledged not to vote for border wall funding.
"We don't want a wall in southern Arizona. A third of our economy comes from Mexico. We want to build bridges not walls," she told Arizona Public Media as she was sworn in.
How much of Trump's wall has been built?
Read Trump and Democrats' speeches in full
Six things that could topple Trump's border wall
Raúl Grijalva, Arizona Democrat
Mr Grijalva has been a vocal critic of Mr Trump's proposal.
"Not a single cent should go to funding Trump's monument to hate," he tweeted after Mr Trump addressed the nation on primetime TV to argue that there is a "crisis" at the border.
"This is a terrible, terrible mistake that Trump is making," he told CBS, calling it "a fantasy" and "not a solution".
"It would be devastating to my district," said Mr Grijalva, whose own father came emigrated from Mexico in the 1940s.
Media caption -- Trump v Democrats on the border wall and government shutdown
Veronica Escobar, Texas Democrat
In her first act as a newly elected member of Congress, Veronica Escobar of Texas' 16th District chose to cast her vote for "Nancy 'no wall' Pelosi" - the Democratic House leader who has opposed budgeting for Mr Trump's wall.
"Donald Trump is trying to portray border communities as these open, lawless areas where a wall will solve problems," she said in a Twitter video for MoveOn.org, a Democratic advocacy group.
Mrs Escobar, who represents the border city of El Paso, blamed Republicans for wrongly and "needless fear mongering about communities like mine".
Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES
Image caption -- Walls and fences already cover many miles of the US border
Juan Vargas, California Democrat
Congressman Juan Vargas, who has represented California's 51st District for the last five years, said there is no crisis where he lives along the border.
"I live along the border, about a little over 10 miles from the border. It's San Diego. I mean, it's basically paradise," he told CNN. "The notion that we have a crisis there, security crisis, is absolute nonsense."
"The reality is, yes, there are people sneaking into our country," Mr Vargas said. "We can stop that if we have smart solutions, and that's only going to be reliant on technology."
Xochitl Torres Small, New Mexico Democrat
New Mexico's newly elected Congresswoman Xochitl Torres Small visited the border earlier this week with other members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES
Image caption -- Xochitl Torres Small
While visiting a Border Patrol station where a Guatemalan migrant child died on Christmas Eve, she called for first responders along remote and rural areas of the border to carry emergency medical equipment.
"The border is my home, and I am committed to fighting for and implementing policies which will help to make it #strong #smart and #fair," she tweeted after the visit.
Filemon Vela Jr, Texas Democrat
Texas Congressman Filemon Vela Jr has said in the past that he agrees with President Trump on trying to tackle the Mexican drug cartels and deporting criminals.
But he is deeply opposed to the wall.
In a scathing open letter to candidate Trump in 2016, he said: "Why any modern-thinking person would ever believe that building a wall along the border of a neighbouring country, which is both our ally and one of our largest trading partners, is frankly astounding and asinine."
been an outspoken critic of Mr Trump's immigration policies, and criticised his decision before the mid-term elections in November to deploy troops to the border, which he said "inspired white national vigilantes" to flood the region.
After US troops arrived in Brownsville, a city he represents, he condemned their defensive manoeuvres as "direct attacks on our border economy [which] provide no security value whatsoever".
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-46815569
US shutdown: Border politicians oppose Trump's wall
JANUARY 10, 2019 9 hours ago
VIDEO -- Five questions about Trump's border wall
Politicians in Washington have had a lot to say about the merits or otherwise of a border wall thousands of miles away. But why are so many lawmakers based there against it?
There are nine members of the House of Representatives whose districts lie along the US-Mexico border.
It is perhaps not surprising that the eight Democrats oppose President Donald Trump's signature campaign pledge.
But the one Republican congressman - whose district stretches for 820 miles (1,320km) along the border - is also hostile.
Most of his party, including some senators and governors of states at the border, back the president.
These nine House representatives have intimate knowledge of the border and the issues arising from the movement of people - legal or otherwise - across it.
So what have they said?
Will Hurd, Texas Republican
"I think building a concrete structure sea to shining sea is the most expensive and least effective way to do border security," said Will Hurd, a Republican congressman whose district has the longest border with Mexico.
Congressman Hurd's 23rd Congressional District, which stretches from El Paso to Antonio, shares the largest border with Mexico of any member of Congress.
Mr Hurd, a former CIA agent who happens to be the only black Republican in the House of Representatives, has argued for a "smart border wall" which would be composed of sensors and other technology.
Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES
Image caption -- Will Hurd meets with constituents at the Fiesta San Antonio in 2017
"A Smart Wall would use sensor, radar and surveillance technologies to detect and track incursions across our border so we can deploy efficiently our most important resource, the men and women of Border Patrol, to perform the most difficult task - interdiction," he wrote in an op-ed in 2017.
Mr Hurd, who broke rank with Republicans to vote on a Democratic-led bill to reopen government, said after Mr Trump's speech on Tuesday: "If this is a crisis, the people that are dealing with this crisis should get paid."
Federal workers who are deemed "essential" such as border patrol agents, have been forced to work without pay as the shutdown continues.
Trump makes case for wall to the nation
Is there a crisis on the US-Mexico border?
Vicente Gonzalez, Texas Democrat
"It's a 4th Century solution to a 21st Century problem," said Congressman Vicente Gonzalez, whose district includes the border town of McAllen, which Trump plans to visit during the funding impasse.
"Nobody wants stronger border control than me," he told CBS.
But he opposes adding to the existing border wall because he does not "think it brings real border security and it comes at a major cost to taxpayers".
Henry Cuellar, Texas Democrat
Congressman Henry Cuellar, who represents Texas' 8th congressional district, believes $4bn is needed to modernise ports of entry, not for a wall which he says would only delay migrants by "a few minutes or a few seconds".
He adds that modern telecommunications for border agents, and funding to help Mexico secure it's own southern border, would also be helpful.
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Rep. Henry Cuellar
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@RepCuellar
Cities along #US-#MX #Border are safer than Washington, D.C. contrary to Republican claims. See latest @FBI data here regarding #ViolentCrime here: https://bit.ly/2Qui17T
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Ann Kirkpatrick, Arizona Democrat
The new Arizona congresswoman took office in early January as the representative for Arizona's 2nd District and has pledged not to vote for border wall funding.
"We don't want a wall in southern Arizona. A third of our economy comes from Mexico. We want to build bridges not walls," she told Arizona Public Media as she was sworn in.
How much of Trump's wall has been built?
Read Trump and Democrats' speeches in full
Six things that could topple Trump's border wall
Raúl Grijalva, Arizona Democrat
Mr Grijalva has been a vocal critic of Mr Trump's proposal.
"Not a single cent should go to funding Trump's monument to hate," he tweeted after Mr Trump addressed the nation on primetime TV to argue that there is a "crisis" at the border.
"This is a terrible, terrible mistake that Trump is making," he told CBS, calling it "a fantasy" and "not a solution".
"It would be devastating to my district," said Mr Grijalva, whose own father came emigrated from Mexico in the 1940s.
Media caption -- Trump v Democrats on the border wall and government shutdown
Veronica Escobar, Texas Democrat
In her first act as a newly elected member of Congress, Veronica Escobar of Texas' 16th District chose to cast her vote for "Nancy 'no wall' Pelosi" - the Democratic House leader who has opposed budgeting for Mr Trump's wall.
"Donald Trump is trying to portray border communities as these open, lawless areas where a wall will solve problems," she said in a Twitter video for MoveOn.org, a Democratic advocacy group.
Mrs Escobar, who represents the border city of El Paso, blamed Republicans for wrongly and "needless fear mongering about communities like mine".
Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES
Image caption -- Walls and fences already cover many miles of the US border
Juan Vargas, California Democrat
Congressman Juan Vargas, who has represented California's 51st District for the last five years, said there is no crisis where he lives along the border.
"I live along the border, about a little over 10 miles from the border. It's San Diego. I mean, it's basically paradise," he told CNN. "The notion that we have a crisis there, security crisis, is absolute nonsense."
"The reality is, yes, there are people sneaking into our country," Mr Vargas said. "We can stop that if we have smart solutions, and that's only going to be reliant on technology."
Xochitl Torres Small, New Mexico Democrat
New Mexico's newly elected Congresswoman Xochitl Torres Small visited the border earlier this week with other members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES
Image caption -- Xochitl Torres Small
While visiting a Border Patrol station where a Guatemalan migrant child died on Christmas Eve, she called for first responders along remote and rural areas of the border to carry emergency medical equipment.
"The border is my home, and I am committed to fighting for and implementing policies which will help to make it #strong #smart and #fair," she tweeted after the visit.
Filemon Vela Jr, Texas Democrat
Texas Congressman Filemon Vela Jr has said in the past that he agrees with President Trump on trying to tackle the Mexican drug cartels and deporting criminals.
But he is deeply opposed to the wall.
In a scathing open letter to candidate Trump in 2016, he said: "Why any modern-thinking person would ever believe that building a wall along the border of a neighbouring country, which is both our ally and one of our largest trading partners, is frankly astounding and asinine."
been an outspoken critic of Mr Trump's immigration policies, and criticised his decision before the mid-term elections in November to deploy troops to the border, which he said "inspired white national vigilantes" to flood the region.
After US troops arrived in Brownsville, a city he represents, he condemned their defensive manoeuvres as "direct attacks on our border economy [which] provide no security value whatsoever".
THIS STORY IS OLD, BUT THE 6 PROBLEMS ARE INTERESTING, FOR INSTANCE LOOK AT THE PHOTOGRAPHS. THE SEVERE AMOUNT OF MEANDERING OF THE RIO GRANDE MAKES THE IDEA OF A TRUE FULL LENGTH WALL OUTRAGEOUSLY EXPENSIVE.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-d60acebe-2076-4bab-90b4-0e9a5f62ab12
6 things that could topple Donald Trump's border wall
By Lucy Rodgers & Nassos Stylianou
16 June 2017
MSNBC MADDOW BLOG STATES THAT TRUMP HAS GIVEN THREE OR FOUR DIFFERENT STATEMENTS ABOUT HOW MUCH HAS BEEN BUILT ALREADY. BBC LOOKS INTO THE QUESTION.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-46748492
Trump's wall: How much has been built so far?
By Jack Goodman & Micah Luxen
BBC Reality Check
5 January 2019
Claim: Much of the wall has already been fully renovated or built. Mexico is paying for the wall through the new US-Mexico-Canada trade agreement.
Verdict: The border authorities say work has begun on building improved border security infrastructure. The money made available so far is largely tied to barrier designs that already exist. The trade agreement with Mexico and Canada is not yet in place and it's not clear how this would directly lead to revenue from Mexico to pay for the wall.
US President Donald Trump wants to spend billions of dollars building a wall along the US-Mexico border.
He needs the US Congress to approve the funding for his plan but he has come up against strong opposition, and the Democratic party doesn't want to stump up the money.
However, Mr Trump says there has already been significant progress.
Writing on Twitter he says "much of the wall has already been fully renovated or built. We have done a lot of work."
So, just how much has been built so far - and is Mexico paying?
Building a wall along the border with Mexico was one of Mr Trump's key election promises.
The White House says the wall is critical to stopping illegal immigrants and drugs entering the country.
The border is 1,954 miles (3,145 km) long, with about 650 miles of various types of fencing already in place through California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.
According to documents obtained by CNN at the beginning of 2018, officials told Congress that the Trump plan would mean 864 miles of new wall and 1,163 miles of replacement wall. It would cost $33bn (£26bn).
Why is President Trump talking about the wall now?
The current row between the president and Congress is over a spending package of more than $5bn (£3.9bn) for the wall.
But Democratic lawmakers in the House of Representatives have so far refused to agree to any additional funding for the wall. They have offered $1.3bn for border security, such as improved surveillance and fencing, but not the wall.
This funding for border security is part of a larger budget that Congress is trying to pass. The impasse has led to a partial government shutdown that began on 22 December.
Media captionFive questions about Trump's border wall
Mr Trump has said he will not sign a bill to reopen government that doesn't include money for the wall.
At the end of last year the lower house, then controlled by Republicans, passed a bill that met the president's request, but it failed to get enough votes in the Senate.
Trump inspects border wall prototypes in California
President Trump denies changing view on Mexico border plan
Trump wall designs at Mexico border
What has been built along the border so far?
In January 2018, Mr Trump asked Congress to pay $18bn (£13.6bn) over the next decade for an initial phase of construction, but the bill ultimately failed.
Estimates for a cross-border wall range from $12-40bn.
In March last year Mr Trump secured $1.6bn from Congress for projects at the border.
The US Customs and Border Protection agency (CBP) has said this raised enough money to build approximately 100 miles of "border wall system".
In the months that followed, the CBP said it has replaced about 14 miles of scrap metal barrier with a "bollard-style wall" in San Diego, built two miles of "primary wall" in California and 20 miles of "new border wall" in Santa Teresa, New Mexico.
And in December 2018, the CBP contracted the US Army Corps of Engineers to construct up to 14 miles of "secondary wall" and up to 15 miles of primary pedestrian replacement wall in San Diego, Yuma, and El Centro Sectors.
The bill approved by Congress stipulated that funds could go on primary and secondary "fencing", barrier planning and design, and border security technology. And money could be spent on new and replacement barriers that had been approved in a previous spending bill.
So that means, for example, it could not be spent on developing prototypes of new walls that have been proposed by the president.
Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES
Image caption -- US President Donald Trump inspects a prototype of the wall he hopes to build across the US-Mexico border
Is Mexico going to pay for it?
Mr Trump's position on how Mexico might pay for the wall has shifted considerably in recent months. During his campaign and at the beginning of his presidency he insisted that Mexico would directly pay for the border wall.
"I would build a great wall, and nobody builds walls better than me, believe me, and I'll build them very inexpensively," Trump said. "I will build a great, great wall on our southern border and I'll have Mexico pay for that wall."
Then towards the end of last year, he insisted that the wall would pay for itself:
"Could somebody please explain to the Democrats (we need their votes) that our Country loses 250 Billion Dollars a year on illegal immigration, not including the terrible drug flow. Top Border Security, including a Wall, is $25 Billion. Pays for itself in two months."
He is now suggesting that Mexico "is paying for the wall" through the new US-Mexico-Canada trade deal.
Not only has the mechanism for this funding been largely unexplained, the deal is not in place yet and has yet to be ratified by Congress.
President Trump may believe that the new trade deal will reduce the trade deficit the US currently has with Mexico and will in the long run save the US money, which can be spent on the wall, says Andrew Hunter, senior US economist at Capital Economics.
"However, there is little direct relationship between a country's trade deficit and government finance," says Mr Hunter.
A second possibility is that the deal increases economic activity and could eventually boost government tax revenues.
But, adds Mr Hunter, "the changes included in the agreement are relatively minor and unlikely to have much impact on the economy."
President Trump has also floated the idea of invoking the Patriot Act to cut off or tax remittance payments to Mexico from Mexican immigrants living in the US.
These remittances could amount to as much as $25bn a year according to the Banco de Mexico. But critics say this would be very difficult to implement and would face legal challenges.
He raised this plan as a way of putting pressure on the Mexican government to pay directly for the wall - something Mexico has categorically refused to do.
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THE NATURE OF THE “SEXUAL VIOLENCE,” HAS FINALLY SURFACED, UNLESS THIS IS A SECOND CASE, HEAVEN FORBID. I SAID YESTERDAY THAT “VIOLENCE” WAS NOT INVOLVED, BUT THIS TIME IT IS THERE FRONT AND CENTER. BERNIE HAS HAD TO APOLOGIZE AGAIN TODAY, AND IT DOESN’T LOOK GOOD. I HOPE HE DOESN’T LOSE HIS POSITION OVER THIS. I HAVE YET TO HEAR THAT HE PERSONALLY HAS EVER BEEN ABUSIVE, AND HE DOESN’T HAVE THAT HYPERMASCULINE APPEARANCE ABOUT HIM. I THINK HE CAN RELATE TO WOMEN, SEXUALLY AND SOCIALLY, ON A BASIS THAT DOES NOT INVOLVE THE NECESSITY TO DOMINATE. PROGRESSIVES OUT THERE, HOPE ALONG WITH ME FOR HIS FUTURE. ONE THING DOES NEED TO HAPPEN, HOWEVER. ROBERT BECKER NEEDS TO BE REMOVED TOTALLY FROM HIS POSITION(S) IN THE CAMPAIGN. IN ADDITION, THE “PREDATORY CULTURE” NEEDS TO CEASE TO EXIST. IF HEADS DON’T ROLL OVER THINGS LIKE THIS, THAT WON’T HAPPEN. HAS BERNIE HAD THE MEETING REQUESTED WITH HIS STAFF? THAT DISTURBING TERM, “PREDATORY CULTURE,” SOUNDS BAD.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-46827557
Sanders apologises for 2016 campaign 'harassment' allegations
JANUARY 10, 2019 1 hour ago
Senator Bernie Sanders has apologised to female staff members on his 2016 US presidential campaign who allege they were harassed by a top aide.
"To women in our campaign who were harassed or mistreated, I apologise," the Vermont independent wrote in a statement on Twitter on Thursday.
His apology comes as he contemplates another White House campaign under the Democratic banner in 2020.
Several aides have complained of a "predatory culture" in his campaign.
What is the background?
On Wednesday, Politico reported that the deputy national field director for Mr Sanders' campaign forcibly kissed a younger subordinate in 2016.
"Candidates who allow people like Robert Becker to lead their organisations shouldn't earn the highest office in our government," said the woman, naming the aide.
The unnamed accuser said she never reported the alleged incident because it came on the same day that Mr Sanders' campaign ended after he failed to snatch the Democratic nomination from Hillary Clinton.
Is Bernie Sanders running for president?
Bernie's heir - who will lead the left in 2020?
She said she felt compelled to speak out after Mr Becker travelled to South Carolina in December on a trip to recruit future campaign workers for Mr Sanders.
RELATED:
Media captionSenator Bernie Sanders of Vermont: 'President is a pathological liar'
Mr Becker denies any harassment, and no criminal charges have been filed.
The allegation comes as dozens of his former Sanders campaign workers have signed a letter requesting a meeting with him "to discuss the issue of sexual violence and harassment on the 2016 campaign".
What did Sanders say?
Mr Sanders' Twitter apology comes after he said sorry on CNN last week "to any woman who felt that she was not treated appropriately".
He was criticised for saying he was "a little bit busy running around the country, trying to make the case" for his presidency, and was not aware of the allegations.
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Bernie Sanders
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@BernieSanders
To the women on my 2016 campaign who were harassed or mistreated, thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for speaking out. I apologize.
We can't just talk about ending sexism and discrimination. It must be a reality in our daily lives. That was clearly not the case in 2016.
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Claims of sexual harassment have recently dogged the campaign of Democratic Senator Kamala Harris, who may also enter the White House race.
Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES
Image caption
Senator Harris has also been hit with claims of harassment by her deputies
Senator Harris has said she was "unaware" that a top aide paid a settlement of $400,000 (£314,000) in May 2017 to a woman who sued for sexual harassment.
The California senator's biography, which debuted last week, contains praise for the aide, who resigned after the payout was revealed.
Related Topics
Bernie SandersSexual harassmentUnited States
Bernie's heir - who will lead the left in 2020?
7 August 2018
Bernie Sanders stirs Texas crowd, is he running for something?
10 March 2018
THE NEXT SEVERAL STORIES FROM FRANCE ARE COLLECTED TO FIND THE PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AS EVIDENCED BY THE GROWING DISORDER. I HAVEN’T READ EVERY WORD IN THESE THREE ARTICLES, BUT I JUST WANTED TO SEE SPECIFICALLY WHAT THESE PROTESTORS ARE SO ANGRY ABOUT. THE IMMEDIATE CAUSE IS COST OF LIVING. PEOPLE ARE BEING FORCED OUT OF CITY HOUSING TO THE COUNTRYSIDE BY HIGH COSTS, AND IN THOSE PLACES A CAR IS NECESSARY. MACRON’S GOAL WITH THIS RECENT AND MOST HATED PRICE HIKE ON FUEL (A SHARP ONE, APPARENTLY) IS A SEVERE HARDSHIP ON DRIVERS. IT WAS DONE IN AN EFFORT TO FORCE DOWN THE PUBLIC’S USE OF FOSSIL FUEL AND PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT.
TWO THINGS I NOTICED ARE: THESE AREN’T JUST A BUNCH OF YOUNG VIOLENT YAHOOS RIOTING IN THE STREETS. IT’S ORGANIZED, AND THE “YELLOW VESTS” ARE DOING STRATEGIC THINGS LIKE SABOTAGING THE SPEED CONTROL CAMERAS. THAT’S EXPENSIVE FOR THE COUNTRY. THE FRENCH POPULACE DO HAVE A GENUINE PROBLEM.
MACRON, UNDERSTANDABLY, I BELIEVE, IS CONSIDERED BY MANY TO BE “OUT OF TOUCH” WITH THE PEOPLE, THEIR NEEDS, AND IT SEEMS TO ME, THE VALIDITY OF THIS TAXATION METHOD OF REDUCING FOSSIL FUEL USE. IT IS SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE WORLDWIDE, BUT NOT THIS WAY. PUNISHING THE POOREST IS NOT EVEN GOING TO REDUCE FUEL USE, I WOULDN’T THINK. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT WHAT MACRON NEEDS TO DO IS SOMEHOW COMMUNICATE WITH HIS PEOPLE VERBALLY AND PHILOSOPHICALLY, RATHER THAN FORCING THIS UNDEMOCRATIC CHANGE ON THEM, AND HE NEEDS TO TRY TO SOLVE THE TRANSPORTATION PROBLEMS. IF I WERE IN THAT SITUATION, I WOULD PREFER A FUEL RATION TO A HEAVY TAX. WHEN THE PUBLIC IS ALREADY IN DIRE STRAITS FINANCIALLY, WHY STRESS THEM FURTHER? ONE ARTICLE STATES THAT THERE IS EVEN A FEAR OF CIVIL WAR. MACRON NEEDS TO CHANGE HIS MODUS OPERANDI, IF ONLY FOR HIS OWN SAKE.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-46822472
Yellow vests knock out 60% of all speed cameras in France
JANUARY 10, 2019 5 hours ago
PHOTOGRAPH -- EPA
Image caption -- This speed camera in Nice, photographed in December, is one example of the damage
Members of the "yellow vests" protest movement have vandalised almost 60% of France's entire speed camera network, the interior minister has said.
Christophe Castaner said the wilful [sic] damage was a threat to road safety and put lives in danger.
The protest movement began over fuel tax increases, and saw motorists block roads and motorway toll booths.
Some protesters feel speed cameras are solely a revenue-generating measure which takes money from the poor.
The BBC's Hugh Schofield, in Paris, said evidence of the vandalism is visible to anyone driving around France, with radar cameras covered in paint or black tape to stop them working.
But the extent of the damage - now believed to affect more than half of all 3,200 speed cameras in the country's network - was unknown until Mr Castaner's statement on Thursday.
He said the devices had been "neutralised, attacked, or destroyed" by members of the protest movement.
The yellow vests movement, or gilets jaunes in French, is named after the high-visibility vests that every driver in the country must keep in their vehicle.
Who are the 'gilets jaunes'?
Les gilets jaunes: The full story
Speed limits in France were already controversial after the government lowered the limit on many main roads from 90km/h to 80 (50mph) early last year.
Protesters angry about the increase in fuel taxes complained of the rising costs of a commute for those priced out of living in urban centres - and turned their ire on other costs such as toll roads and speed cameras.
Image copyrightAFP
Image caption -- This plastic-motorbike combination was spotted in Corsica on 2 December
While the number of people attending weekend protests has dropped since the government made some small concessions, the conflict between the popular movement and the government remains a daily topic of debate in France.
Just this week, the prime minister announced a crackdown on unsanctioned protests, while a former boxer filmed punching police officers has divided public opinion, with some claiming he was defending other protesters from police.
And on Tuesday, the person picked to lead the country's planned "great debate" on the issues resigned over her €14,666 monthly salary (£13,200; $16,800).
SEE ALSO:
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-france-politics-fuel-blockades/yellow-vest-protests-block-fuel-depots-in-france-retailers-hit-idUSKCN1NO0XZ
FROM LAST DECEMBER 2018:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-03/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-protests-in-france/10576834
Everything you need to know about 'Les Gilets Jaunes' and the protests in France
By Greg Howard
Updated 3 Dec 2018, 3:36pm
PHOTO: The protests are referred to by many as the Yellow Vest movement. (Reuters: Benoit Tessier)
Last weekend was the third in a row of anti-government protests in France, as clashes in Paris between as many as 8,000 protesters and 5,000 police officers wielding tear gas, stun grenades and water cannons resulted in one death, at least 133 injuries and over 400 arrests.
Key points:
The protests began on November 17 in response to tax hikes on fuel to reduce emissions
Since then, three people have died in traffic accidents as protests blocked roads
In recent polls, between 70 and 80 per cent of French citizens supported the protests
The city's famed Champs-Elysees was overrun with violence, as many protesters — mostly young men, some in hoods and masks — looted storefronts and burned cars and debris.
Perhaps the best expression of the anger and frustration in the country could be seen at the Arc de Triomphe, which was defaced with graffiti reading messages including "Macron resign", "Overthrow the bourgeoisie!" and "Yellow Vests will triumph".
While the demonstrations outside the capital were largely peaceful, some are calling the protests the worst in over a decade and even anticipate the unrest leading to civil war.
Here's everything you need to know about the situation.
How did the protests start?
Protesters in bright yellow vests march on the street with a banner in Lyon, France, as a cyclist looks on
PHOTO: The taxes, designed to encourage the purchase of more environmentally friendly vehicles, were approved late last year but began to bite as oil prices surged in October. (AP: Laurent Cipriani)
French citizens took to the streets on November 17 (local time) to protest sharp fuel hikes on petrol and diesel levied to reduce emissions and push people toward more environmentally friendly vehicles.
The tax, which was approved in 2017, raised the price of petrol by 7.6 cents per litre on diesel and 3.9 cents per litre on petrol.
These taxes, combined with an October oil price surge, hit citizens' pockets hard.
A further hike is slated to hit on January 1, 2019, for a further 6.5 cents per litre on diesel and 2.9 cents per litre on petrol.
The protests were largely organised on social media, where they exploded in popularity without clear leadership.
A petition that began circulating online in May to lower fuel prices generated over 300,000 signatures by mid-October.
Demonstrators block a motorway exit to protest fuel tax in Marseille
PHOTO: Demonstrators block a motorway exit in Marseille to protest against fuel prices. (AP: Claude Paris)
And when truckers created a Facebook event in October to block roads to Paris on November 17, nearly 200,000 people replied they were interested.
Protesters blocked roads and highways, fuel depots, shopping centres, and some factories as an estimated 300,000 people nationwide took part in the first demonstration.
One protester was accidentally killed by a motorist on the day and 47 others were injured.
What are the protesters angry about?
A truck burns during a "yellow vest" protest on the Champs-Elysees in Paris.
PHOTO: A truck burns during a protest on the Champs-Elysees in Paris on November 24. (Reuters: Benoit Tessier)
Many citizens believe the fuel taxes, meant to help slow climate change, put an undue strain on the people.
Those who do not live in cities are reliant on cars to get around and say the new policies, set by the political elite, unfairly target and harm those outside of the country's urban conclaves.
City residents are concerned about rising taxes and costs forcing them to the suburbs, where they'll face the same problem.
"We are talking about cost of living and [French President Emmanuel] Macron is talking ecology," protester Joffre Denis told American publication Bloomberg.
The protests were originally about fuel prices but have grown and expanded to include other grievances and demands in response to declining living standards and higher cost of living in France.
Photograph -- Alexandre Benalla stands between French President Emmanuel Macron and a media pack
PHOTO: President Emmanuel Macron (right) has only 20 per cent support in France but is not up for re-election until 2022. (AP: Christophe Ena)
Famke Krumbmuller, a political consultant based in Paris, explained who was angry in an interview with American broadcaster NBC News.
"The white middle class, the forgotten middle class in France," he said.
Many in the country believe they have to pay high taxes but get little in return in the way of social benefits that are largely designed to aid the poor, and that they are being left behind by Mr Macron's policies.
In his 18 months in office, the centrist Mr Macron has been a target of ire from France's left and right, and his popularity was just 20 per cent nationwide before the protests even began in November.
The President was pegged as "President for the rich" by detractors after slashing the country's wealth tax last year.
Raising taxes on lower classes makes Mr Macron seem out of touch with much of France.
"Macron has a problem on his hands. Everyone's fed up. He's got to listen more," protester Amaya Fuster said.
What's with those yellow vests anyway?
Hundreds of protesters wearing yellow vests gather in a Paris street, one holds up the French flag
PHOTO: Some demonstrators held French flags and sang the national anthem during protests near the Champs-Elysees on December 1. (AP: Kamil Zihnioglu)
The yellow vests are the symbol of the current movement.
Motorists in France have been required since 2008 to keep the reflective, high-visibility vests — "les gilets jaunes" in French — in their vehicles.
The protests are referred to by many as the Yellow Vest movement, and most of the demonstrators throughout the country donned the vests before taking to the streets.
This includes those who defaced the world-renowned monuments.
"I've worked on monuments around Paris for 20 years and I've never seen anything like this at the Arc de Triomphe. It was carnage," a Paris City Hall official said while overseeing the Arc de Triomphe's clean-up.
French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said he was "shocked by the violence of such a symbol of France".
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VIDEO: The French Government is considering imposing a state of emergency. (ABC News)
French authorities are claiming extremists on the right and left and suburban "thugs" have infiltrated and hijacked protests with violence or egged on peaceful demonstrators.
But recent polls show around between 70 and 80 per cent of French citizens support the protests.
What happens now?
PHOTO: Demonstrators stand by graffiti at the base of the Arc de Triomphe. (AP: Thibault Camus)
Three people have been killed in relation to the protests since November 17.
Mr Macron, who was in Argentina on Saturday for the G20 Summit, addressed the protests at a press conference in Buenos Aires
"I will never accept violence," he said.
"No cause justifies that authorities are attacked, that businesses are plundered, that passers-by or journalists are threatened or that the Arc de Triomphe is defiled."
Protesters clash with riot police on the Champs-Elysee in Paris.
PHOTO: French security forces fear far-left and far-right extremists may infiltrate the demonstrations. (Reuters: Benoit Tessier)
He then returned to Paris to view the Arc de Triomphe and hold emergency meetings with French ministers.
And while French authorities are considering declaring a state of emergency, Mr Macron so far hasn't budged on lowering the taxes before January 1.
"What I've taken from these last few days is that we shouldn't change course because it is the right one and necessary," he said.
Still, the President allowed he would try to introduce action to adjust tax hikes when oil prices spiked, to ease the strain on French pockets.
It was a rare concession from Mr Macron, who isn't up for election until 2022.
VIDEO: French President Emmanuel Macron (centre) visits the sites of the riots (Photo: AP/Thibault Camus) (ABC News)
France's interior ministry said about 136,000 people participated in the protest nationwide last weekend, suggesting the demonstrations themselves may be dying down.
"The 'gilets jaunes' movement will probably peter out, but not the anger, which is likely to go on and take new forms maybe more dangerous for Macron," Jim Shields, a professor of French politics at Warwick University in the UK, told Bloomberg.
"It's hard to see how he can complete controversial reforms like pensions and unemployment insurance without yet more blood on the pavement."
ABC/wires
Topics: world-politics, unrest-conflict-and-war, government-and-politics, france
First posted 3 Dec 2018, 1:29am
EIGHT DEMOCRATIC AND ONE REPUBLICAN BORDERLAND POLITICIANS ARE STRONGLY IN OPPOSITION TO TRUMP'S WALL.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-46815569
US shutdown: Border politicians oppose Trump's wall
JANUARY 10, 2019 9 hours ago
VIDEO -- Five questions about Trump's border wall
Politicians in Washington have had a lot to say about the merits or otherwise of a border wall thousands of miles away. But why are so many lawmakers based there against it?
There are nine members of the House of Representatives whose districts lie along the US-Mexico border.
It is perhaps not surprising that the eight Democrats oppose President Donald Trump's signature campaign pledge.
But the one Republican congressman - whose district stretches for 820 miles (1,320km) along the border - is also hostile.
Most of his party, including some senators and governors of states at the border, back the president.
These nine House representatives have intimate knowledge of the border and the issues arising from the movement of people - legal or otherwise - across it.
So what have they said?
Will Hurd, Texas Republican
"I think building a concrete structure sea to shining sea is the most expensive and least effective way to do border security," said Will Hurd, a Republican congressman whose district has the longest border with Mexico.
Congressman Hurd's 23rd Congressional District, which stretches from El Paso to Antonio, shares the largest border with Mexico of any member of Congress.
Mr Hurd, a former CIA agent who happens to be the only black Republican in the House of Representatives, has argued for a "smart border wall" which would be composed of sensors and other technology.
Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES
Image caption -- Will Hurd meets with constituents at the Fiesta San Antonio in 2017
"A Smart Wall would use sensor, radar and surveillance technologies to detect and track incursions across our border so we can deploy efficiently our most important resource, the men and women of Border Patrol, to perform the most difficult task - interdiction," he wrote in an op-ed in 2017.
Mr Hurd, who broke rank with Republicans to vote on a Democratic-led bill to reopen government, said after Mr Trump's speech on Tuesday: "If this is a crisis, the people that are dealing with this crisis should get paid."
Federal workers who are deemed "essential" such as border patrol agents, have been forced to work without pay as the shutdown continues.
Trump makes case for wall to the nation
Is there a crisis on the US-Mexico border?
Vicente Gonzalez, Texas Democrat
"It's a 4th Century solution to a 21st Century problem," said Congressman Vicente Gonzalez, whose district includes the border town of McAllen, which Trump plans to visit during the funding impasse.
"Nobody wants stronger border control than me," he told CBS.
But he opposes adding to the existing border wall because he does not "think it brings real border security and it comes at a major cost to taxpayers".
Henry Cuellar, Texas Democrat
Congressman Henry Cuellar, who represents Texas' 8th congressional district, believes $4bn is needed to modernise ports of entry, not for a wall which he says would only delay migrants by "a few minutes or a few seconds".
He adds that modern telecommunications for border agents, and funding to help Mexico secure it's own southern border, would also be helpful.
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Rep. Henry Cuellar
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@RepCuellar
Cities along #US-#MX #Border are safer than Washington, D.C. contrary to Republican claims. See latest @FBI data here regarding #ViolentCrime here: https://bit.ly/2Qui17T
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End of Twitter post by @RepCuellar
Ann Kirkpatrick, Arizona Democrat
The new Arizona congresswoman took office in early January as the representative for Arizona's 2nd District and has pledged not to vote for border wall funding.
"We don't want a wall in southern Arizona. A third of our economy comes from Mexico. We want to build bridges not walls," she told Arizona Public Media as she was sworn in.
How much of Trump's wall has been built?
Read Trump and Democrats' speeches in full
Six things that could topple Trump's border wall
Raúl Grijalva, Arizona Democrat
Mr Grijalva has been a vocal critic of Mr Trump's proposal.
"Not a single cent should go to funding Trump's monument to hate," he tweeted after Mr Trump addressed the nation on primetime TV to argue that there is a "crisis" at the border.
"This is a terrible, terrible mistake that Trump is making," he told CBS, calling it "a fantasy" and "not a solution".
"It would be devastating to my district," said Mr Grijalva, whose own father came emigrated from Mexico in the 1940s.
Media caption -- Trump v Democrats on the border wall and government shutdown
Veronica Escobar, Texas Democrat
In her first act as a newly elected member of Congress, Veronica Escobar of Texas' 16th District chose to cast her vote for "Nancy 'no wall' Pelosi" - the Democratic House leader who has opposed budgeting for Mr Trump's wall.
"Donald Trump is trying to portray border communities as these open, lawless areas where a wall will solve problems," she said in a Twitter video for MoveOn.org, a Democratic advocacy group.
Mrs Escobar, who represents the border city of El Paso, blamed Republicans for wrongly and "needless fear mongering about communities like mine".
Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES
Image caption -- Walls and fences already cover many miles of the US border
Juan Vargas, California Democrat
Congressman Juan Vargas, who has represented California's 51st District for the last five years, said there is no crisis where he lives along the border.
"I live along the border, about a little over 10 miles from the border. It's San Diego. I mean, it's basically paradise," he told CNN. "The notion that we have a crisis there, security crisis, is absolute nonsense."
"The reality is, yes, there are people sneaking into our country," Mr Vargas said. "We can stop that if we have smart solutions, and that's only going to be reliant on technology."
Xochitl Torres Small, New Mexico Democrat
New Mexico's newly elected Congresswoman Xochitl Torres Small visited the border earlier this week with other members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES
Image caption -- Xochitl Torres Small
While visiting a Border Patrol station where a Guatemalan migrant child died on Christmas Eve, she called for first responders along remote and rural areas of the border to carry emergency medical equipment.
"The border is my home, and I am committed to fighting for and implementing policies which will help to make it #strong #smart and #fair," she tweeted after the visit.
Filemon Vela Jr, Texas Democrat
Texas Congressman Filemon Vela Jr has said in the past that he agrees with President Trump on trying to tackle the Mexican drug cartels and deporting criminals.
But he is deeply opposed to the wall.
In a scathing open letter to candidate Trump in 2016, he said: "Why any modern-thinking person would ever believe that building a wall along the border of a neighbouring country, which is both our ally and one of our largest trading partners, is frankly astounding and asinine."
been an outspoken critic of Mr Trump's immigration policies, and criticised his decision before the mid-term elections in November to deploy troops to the border, which he said "inspired white national vigilantes" to flood the region.
After US troops arrived in Brownsville, a city he represents, he condemned their defensive manoeuvres as "direct attacks on our border economy [which] provide no security value whatsoever".
THIS STORY IS OLD, BUT THE 6 PROBLEMS ARE INTERESTING. ESPECIALLY, LOOK AT THE PHOTOGRAPHS. THE EXTREME AMOUNT OF MEANDERING OF THE RIO GRANDE MAKES THE IDEA OF A TRUE FULL LENGTH WALL OUTRAGEOUSLY EXPENSIVE.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-d60acebe-2076-4bab-90b4-0e9a5f62ab12
6 things that could topple Donald Trump's border wall
By Lucy Rodgers & Nassos Stylianou
16 June 2017
BETSY DEVOS TITLE IX "REVISION"
HELP CARING PEOPLE TO DERAIL DEVOS PLAN BY SUBMITTING A FORMAL COMMENT BY JANUARY 28. FOR SEVERAL ASPECTS ON THIS ISSUE, GO TO: https://www.bustle.com/p/how-to-comment-on-betsy-devos-title-ix-proposal-so-she-knows-your-opinion-on-her-plan-13157355.
https://www.correiaputh.com/news/hook-off-campus-sexual-assault/
https://www.insidehighered.com/.../what-title-ix-plan-would-mean-misconduct-campu...
https://whyy.org/articles/governor-wolf-stands-against-proposed-title-ix-changes/
https://www.rainn.org/statistics/campus-sexual-violence
http://www.center4research.org/sexual-violence-campus-numbers-can-cant-tell-us/
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/01/02/deadline-looming-groups-urge-public-speak-out-against-devos-plan-steamroll-rights
Published on
Wednesday, January 02, 2019
byCommon Dreams
With Deadline Looming, Groups Urge Public to Speak Out Against DeVos' Plan to Steamroll Rights for Sexual Assault Survivors
"If you support protections for survivors, submit a comment now"
byAndrea Germanos, staff writer
PHOTOGRAPH -- President Donald Trump and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos take part in a roundtable in the Roosevelt Room at the White House on December 18, 2018 in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
With the deadline for public comment fast approaching, advocacy groups are urging their supporters to let the Trump administration know its proposed changes to the federal law that bars sex-based discrimination in schools are unacceptable as they would "make it easier for schools to sweep campus sexual assault under the rug."
"If you support protections for survivors, submit a comment now," People For the American Way added in a tweet on Wednesday.
When Education Secretary Betsy DeVos unveiled the proposed changes to how universities enforce Title IX in November, civil liberties groups expressed sharp criticism, with the ACLU fearing they "would tip the scales against those who raise their voices."
Laying out her opposition, NOW President Toni Van Pelt previously explained:
The single most damaging provision is the limitation to responding only to complaints that happen on campus. It is estimated that 87 percent of college students now live off campus; so that vast majority of victims of harassment and assault would have little protection. Their only recourse would be to report incidents to law enforcement authorities and there is a long history of these types of complaints being ignored.
Other harmful changes include a restrictive definition of sexual harassment that would require students to endure severe harassment before the school has to respond; allowing schools to adopt a criminal standard of evidence in deciding cases when Title IX is a civil rights law and a lower standard of evidence is more appropriate; setting up a situation for unbalanced investigations where schools are required to start with the presumption that the named perpetrator is not responsible (thus the victims are not to be believed); allowing alleged perpetrators to directly question their accusers causing more trauma; and, permitting religious exemptions for schools to avoid compliance with Title IX protections placing at serious risk LGBTQIA students, pregnant and parenting students (some are unmarried), and student who need access to birth control and abortion care.
Know Your IX, which is staging a "Hands Off IX" joint campaign with End Rape on Campus, also recently tweeted a graphic to sum up the proposal:
The changes would hit the LGBTQ community and students of color particularly hard, as they face higher levels of sexual assault.
"Under these new proposed rules, @michiganstateu would've had no responsibility to stop #LarryNassar from sexually abusing girls and young women, just because his victims told their coaches and athletic trainers instead of the #TitleIX coordinator," Rewire.News noted in a tweet on Wednesday.
Given the potential impacts, groups like Legal Voice are encouraging people to swiftly submit a formal comment by the January 28 midnight deadline.
But don't stop with just a comment, says the Network for Victim Recovery of DC. The legal and advocacy group says another way to stand against the administration's proposal is "to advocate for #survivors' rights on ur campus. Tell your school what YOU think about the proposed Title IX changes & ask them what their plan is!"
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License
AFTER DOING SOME READING AND THINKING ABOUT THE ARTICLES ABOVE RE TITLE IX, GO TO BUSTLE AND CLICK ON THE PORTAL. A LINK EXISTS THERE FOR EASY SUBMISSION OF COMMENTS AND LONGER DISCUSSION.
https://www.bustle.com/p/how-to-comment-on-betsy-devos-title-ix-proposal-so-she-knows-your-opinion-on-her-plan-13157355
How To Comment On Betsy DeVos' Title IX Proposal So She Knows Your Opinion On Her Plan
ByMORGAN BRINLEE
2 months ago – FROM JANUARY 10, 2019
PHOTOGRAPH -- Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images News/Getty Images
The Trump administration is looking to seriously overhaul how schools handle allegations of sexual misconduct by rewriting Obama-era rules. On Friday, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos released her proposed rewrite of Title IX enforcement rules, which include proposals to narrow the definition of sexual harassment and limit instances when schools would be required to investigate complaints. But DeVos' rewrite isn't final just yet. Rather, there is a time set aside now when you can comment on DeVos' Title IX proposal.
"We call on survivors, advocates, and allies to make their voices heard during the notice-and-comment period, and let the Department of Education know just how disastrous these rules will be for survivors who are just trying to access their education," Jess Davidson, the interim executive director of End Rape on Campus, said in a statement released Friday. "This rule can be stopped, but only if we speak up."
According to the Department of Education, the newly proposed Title IX rule will open for public comment once it's published in the Federal Register. End Rape on Campus tells Bustle it believes that will happen sometime next week. The Department of Education has said the public comment period will last for a total of 60 days.
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End Rape on Campus
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@endrapeoncampus
The new #TitleIX guidance has been released. This has the potential to silence millions of survivors and disproportionately affects historically silenced students. Learn how you can tell @BetsyDeVosED to take her #HandsOffIX: http://HandsOffIX.org
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To help ensure those who'd like to comment on the proposed rule don't miss out, End Rape on Campus and Know Your IX have collaborated on an effort, Hands Off IX, that creates an email alert notifying those interested when the notice and comment period has officially begun. Know Your IX also put together resources to assist those interested in learning how to write a really effective comment.
According to Hands Off IX, commenting on proposed rules published in the Federal Register can take a bit more time and effort than, say, reaching out to your congressional representative. But, ultimately, it's worth the extra effort as the Department of Education is required by law to respond to the public input it receives during the notice-and-comment period when issuing its final rule or regulation.
Rules or regulations found to have inadequately responded to public input can, according to Hands Off IX, be struck down by a court — meaning that writing a strong comment can be an effective way of influencing the Department of Education's final rule.
ACLU
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@ACLU
We advocate for fair school disciplinary processes that uphold the rights of both parties in campus sexual assault and harassment cases.
Today Secretary DeVos proposed a rule that would tip the scales against those who raise their voices.
We strongly oppose it.
7,897
10:39 AM - Nov 16, 2018
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So, what makes for an effective comment? First, Hands Off IX warns against submitting a form letter. They also suggest relying on objective evidence like data rather than just personal narrative as a means of supporting your argument. Another tip is to include as many relevant arguments against the proposed rule as possible in your comment and to discuss potential alternative actions. You can also make it crystal clear which part of the proposed rule you are commenting on by citing its page, column, or paragraph number in the federal register.
"One well supported comment is often more influential than a thousand form letters," a Regulations.gov tip sheet says. Hands Off IX explains, "This means that thousands of comments can be less influential than one long and detailed comment."
According to The Washington Post, DeVos' proposal would narrow the definition of sexual harassment from "unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature" as noted in Obama-era guidelines to "unwelcome conduct on the basis of sex that is so severe, pervasive and objectively offensive that it denies a person access to the school's education program or activity."
The proposal also narrows the circumstances in which a school would be required to take action. Under the proposed rule, schools would investigate alleged incidents only if they were reported to the appropriate person and occurred during a school-sponsored, funded, endorsed, or promoted activity or program or on campus or in a school-owned building. It would also reportedly allow accused students access to lawyers who could cross-examine accusers.
ED Press Secretary
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@EDPressSec
· Nov 16, 2018
Replying to @EDPressSec
.@BetsyDeVosED "Far too many students have been forced to go to court to ensure their rights are protected because the Department has not set out legally binding rules that hold schools accountable for responding to allegations of sexual harassment in a supportive, fair manner."
ED Press Secretary
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@EDPressSec
.@BetsyDeVosED "By following proper legal procedures and receiving input on our proposed rule, we will ultimately have a final regulation that ensures that
Title IX protects all students.”
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9:50 AM - Nov 16, 2018
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See ED Press Secretary's other Tweets
In a statement released Friday, DeVos argued the proposed rules would enable Title IX to protect all students. "Far too many students have been forced to go to court to ensure their rights are protected because the Department has not set out legally binding rules that hold schools accountable for responding to allegations of sexual harassment in a supportive, fair manner," she said. "By following proper legal procedures and receiving input on our proposed rule, we will ultimately have a final regulation that ensures that Title IX protects all students."
Comments on DeVos' proposal should be submitted through the Federal eRulemaking Portal.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this story mischaracterized the Hands Off IX resource. It has been updated to reflect that Hands Off IX is a collaboration between End Rape On Campus and Know Your IX.
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