Women send political message by wearing white to Pres. Trump's second State of the Union. https://t.co/8KcWZWL7IS #SOTU https://t.co/8h1wQfKqMK

By Sophie Tatum, Meg Wagner, Veronica Rocha, Brian Ries and Amanda Wills, CNNSpeaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has invited a bunch of guests to this year's State of the Union address.  Among them is José Andrés, the renowned chef who recently provided free meals to furloughed workers during and after the partial government shutdown. Andrés' #ChefsForFeds campaign opened a kitchen and café near the White House to feed government employees who were not getting paid during the shutdown — and the movement soon expanded to 12 states and Puerto Rico.  Here is who else she's invited, according to a list provided by her office:From CNN's Kate Sullivan and Ashley KilloughThe House Democratic Women's Working Group is inviting female members of both parties to wear white to the State of the Union address as a symbol of solidarity. "Wearing suffragette white is a respectful message of solidarity with women across the country, and a declaration that we will not go back on our hard-earned rights," Rep.  Lois Frankel of Florida, the chair of the working group, told CNN. Frankel pointed out there have never been as many Democratic women serving in Congress as there are today. This won't be the first time: In 2017, the same group coordinated Democratic women wearing white to Trump's joint address to Congress.  At the time, the women said they were wearing white not only in memory of the women's suffrage movement but also to show Trump their support for a number of issues affecting women, including affordable health care, reproductive rights and equal pay. From CNN's Clare Foran and Phil MattinglyFormer Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams said Tuesday she has accepted an invitation to give the Democratic response to the State of the Union address. Abrams has been talked about as a rising star in the Democratic Party.  She gained a national following during her unsuccessful bid to become governor of Georgia last fall.  Abrams said last week that she is "honored" to give the Democratic response.  Her spokesperson said Abrams would be the first black woman to give the Democratic response to the State of the Union. From CNN's Veronica StracqualursiAn undocumented worker fired from President Trump's New Jersey golf club will be in attendance at the State of the Union address tonight. Victorina Morales, a Guatemalan native, worked for years at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, before describing herself as an undocumented worker to The New York Times in December.  She was ultimately terminated from her job and currently faces deportation. Morales was invited to Trump's State of the Union address by Rep.  Bonnie Watson Coleman, a Democrat from New Jersey, which the congresswoman's office and Morales' attorney confirmed separately to CNN. The Washington Post first reported the news of the invitation. Watch more:From CNN's Jim AcostaPresident Trump attended a meeting with surrogates ahead of tonight's State of the Union address. One of Trump's advisers, who also attended the meeting, said the President was so passionate about his desire for a barrier at the southern border, he even discussed the idea of painting the stretch of fencing where it meets the Pacific Ocean in San Diego.  Trump, according to the adviser, said he doesn't like the way it looks, noting there is some graffiti on that section of the border fencing.  Trump complained that a general informed him that painting that portion of the wall may not be possible as it could cause environmental harm.  The source had said Trump didn't like the graffiti that was showing up on that section of the wall.  Trump and his son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner, met with contractors at the White House to discuss building the border wall late last week, two sources with knowledge of the meeting told CNN.  He also met with contractors on Monday, a day ahead of his State of the Union address, according to two people familiar with the meetings. Some context: We're not sure if Trump's proposed border wall will come up during his speech tonight, but it was the key sticking point in the government shutdown that ultimately postponed this address. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi disinvited Trump from giving his speech on Jan.  29 because of the partial government shutdown, which went into effect when Trump and Democrats couldn't agree on funding for a barrier on the border.  While the shutdown ended on Jan.  25, the State of the Union was rescheduled for today. The State of the Union address was postponed after President Trump and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi spent a week writing letters back and forth.  Pelosi's request to postpone the speech — and her eventual decision to disinvite Trump — came during the longest government shutdown in US history. Here's a brief recap of how it all went down:Please enable JavaScript for a better experience.


West Bengal: Students of Jadavpur University protest in Kolkata against #JNUViolence & PM Narendra Modi's visit. PM Modi is on a two-day official visit to the city. https://t.co/QAtTaOLTAj

Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee was caught among students affiliated to Left and far-Left unions - who had been carrying out rallies against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the city - when they laid siege around the site of the TMC youth wing’s sit-in demonstration at Esplanade in the heart of Kolkata on Saturday evening.  The impasse ended around 9:30 pm after Banerjee delivered a long speech pacifying the agitating students. Banerjee, who had earlier addressed the TMC demonstration before leaving to attend a light and sound show with PM Modi at Millennium Park near the iconic Howrah Bridge, was caught by surprise when she returned to find the dais virtually surrounded by the Left-wing students from Jadavpur University, Presidency University, Calcutta University and even Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute. Shortly before Banerjee returned to the site, Left-aligned students had broken through three police barricades to reach the TMC students’ wing’s protest venue, leading to complete chaos. Banerjee pleaded with the students to protest peacefully.  “I plead with you.  Carry on your demonstration.  Let us carry out ours.  There should not be any unrest. ”Since the Left-wing students were shouting slogans against the Delhi Police and the violence at Jawaharlal Nehru University, Banerjee said, “If you want to express your anger against Delhi Police, go to Delhi.  Kolkata Police is not Delhi Police. ”Without budging, the Left-minded students began shouting their ‘Azadi’ slogans.  In return, Mamata and her supporters raised their no-NRC slogans.  She seemed to be losing temper at one point in time.  “Don’t teach me how to conduct a movement,” she shouted. There was a huge police contingent at the spot and Banerjee was surrounded by her security personnel.  Kolkata mayor and urban development minister Firhad Hakim was also present on the dais with her. Some of the Jadavpur University students who gheraoed Babul Supriyo in September were also present in the gathering. “I have nothing to say against your protests.  You have all the right to protest.  But I request you all to please maintain peace,” Banerjee appealed. She led the chanting of, “Chhatra Oikyo Zindabaad (Long live the unity of students), “Andolone Gondogol Cholbe Na (Say no to trouble in protests) and Amra Sobai Shanti Chai (We all want peace). At one point, Mamata Banerjee started shouting “CAA shame, shame,” while Leftist students chanted “Narendra Modi go back”.  When the Leftist students shouted “Azadi” slogans, Mamata Banerjee chanted ‘Vande Mataram’, ‘Jai Hind’ and ‘Jai Bangla’. The stalemate continued for a while before things calmed down and Banerjee began addressing the students including the rival group. “We have suspended six policemen who resorted to baton charge on Jadavpur University students during a demonstration. ” She said pacifying the students, while referring to police action on students protesting the violence at JNU. “The governor advised me to remove the Jadavpur University vice chancellor and take action against students after the incident in September.  I did nothing because students have some rights too,” said Banerjee, while the students listened.  Banerjee left the venue after pacifying the students at around 9. 30pm.


CBI files case against GVK group over alleged Rs 705 cr scam in development of Mumbai airport

(reports @neerajwriting)

https://t.co/DG4ooptjEZ https://t.co/Nz1yh4nxQm

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a case against the GVK Group - the company that runs the Mumbai airport - its chairman Dr GVK Reddy, his son GV Sanjay Reddy and several other companies for alleged irregularities worth over Rs 705 crore in the development of Mumbai airport, officials familiar with the developments said. The agency has named 13 persons including GVK Reddy and his son GV Sanjay Reddy who is the managing director of joint venture company – MIAL (Mumbai International Airport Limited).  The agency has registered a case against them for criminal conspiracy, cheating under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. Officials familiar with the development said the CBI even carried out searches after registering the FIR. The MIAL is a PPP (public-private partnership) between the AAI (Airports Authority of India), the GVK and foreign entities in the name of MIAL.  The GVK has a shareholding of 50. 5%, the AAI holds 26% while the remaining shareholding rests with foreign companies. The AAI entered an OMDA (operation, management and development agreement) in April 2006 for the modernization and up-gradation, operation and maintenance of the Mumbai airport as part of the joint venture called the MIAL.  As per the agreement, it was decided that the MIAL will share 38. 7% of their revenue as annual fee with the AAI and that the government authority will have the first right on the revenue. “The essence of agreement was to create a world-class facility and at the same time protecting the interests of the government of India, promoters and passengers,” the CBI stated in its FIR. “Despite there being a clear cut understanding in the OMDA, the promoters of the GVK group in the MIAL, in connivance with their executives and the unknown officials of the AAI, resorted to siphoning of funds fraudulently adopting various modus operandi,” the CBI said. For the project, around 200 acres of an undeveloped parcel of land was given to the MIAL around the airport so that it can develop the area and generate revenues. “The MIAL entered into fake work contracts during 2017-18 with at least nine companies on the pretext of real estate development.  the MIAL transferred the funds to them but these projects have never been executed on the ground and the transactions were only on papers.  Using this modus operandi, Rs 310 crore have been fraudulently siphoned off which resulted in a wrongful loss to the AAI and corresponding gain to themselves,” the FIR stated. These nine companies, CBI added, have also availed fake credit Input Tax Credit (ITC) and cause further revenue loss to the government exchequer based on these fake invoices. “Source information has also revealed that there are many more such fake contracts which the MIAL has fraudulently entered into with non-existing/non-functional entities and have embezzled the funds of the MIAL,” the CBI added.  In another modus operandi, from 2012 onwards, the GVK used the surplus of the MIAL to the tune of Rs 395 crore to finance their other group companies.  “They fraudulently created forged Board Meeting Resolutions of the MIAL, authorizing to keep the reserve/surplus funds of the MIAL as FDRs with public sector banks at Hyderabad,” the CBI stated. Interestingly, the MIAL is a Mumbai based company but they chose to deposit the FDRs in Hyderabad branch of Bank of Baroda, the agency added. “The GVK Group raised loans/overdraft facilities against these FDRs and used these funds for the benefit of their Hyderabad-based company at the expense of the MIAL,” it added. It said that surplus funds have been deposited to other bank branches as well in Hyderabad. The CBI said that the promoters of the GVK also embezzled funds by resorting to inflating the expenditure of the MIAL.  For example, “they shifted the staff of their head office in Hyderabad and the employees of their group companies on the payrolls of the MIAL.  So, in contravention of the agreement, employees who were not part of the MIAL were being paid for all these years,” the CBI stated. Subsequently, the CBI FIR alleges that the GVK group connived with their family members, relatives and employees.  They assigned the premium retail areas of Mumbai airport to their family members at exorbitantly low rates thereby reducing the revenue of the MIAL on account of rentals and sales.  The GVK group even used funds of the MIAL by entering into agreements with a company owned by family members, relatives, employees to book train, air travel tickets and hotel booking for personal interest as well as for group employees of the GVK who were not connected to the MIAL, it added. The CBI further said that the AAI officials were aware of all the irregularities but turned a blind eye and let these practices of siphoning, diverting and misusing of funds of the MIAL to continue. For now, the agency has estimated the loss to be around Rs 705 crore but officials - who didn’t wish to be named - said the figure could be much higher and may go over a few more hundred crores.


On May 12, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an economic package of Rs 20 lakh crores to support the nation gripped with the coronavirus crisis.  The PM informed that the details of the plan would be shared by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman the next day.  Since then Sitharaman has made an announcement in three tranches.  The Financial Express reported live updates of the third tranche on May 15. A WhatsApp text claims that labourers who have been working between 1990-2020 will get Rs 1. 2 lakhs from the Ministry of Labour and Employment (MLE).  The message is followed by a suspicious link ‘https://lI. IlllI. uno’ however the text includes a preview of the official website of MLE — labour. gov. in.  The preview reads, “Ministry of Labour and Employment: Benefits available obtain ₹120000. ”
Alt News received several requests to fact-check this on WhatsApp (+917600011160) and on our official Android application.
Alt News opened the suspicious link ‘https://lI. IlllI. uno’ and it directed to another domain ‘labour. rebajas. live’.  Both websites are no longer accessible.

A Twitter user who tagged MLE to authenticate the message has attached the screenshots of the website when it was accessible. @LabourMinistry The workers who worked between the 1990 and 2020, have the right to receive the *benefit of ₹120000 from Ministry of Labour and Employment*.  Check if your name is in the list of the people who have the rights to withdraw this benefits.  https://t. co/8zZokc7iv7 pic. twitter. com/5Z6O8TMJCE— shirish mahadik (@ShirishMahadik) May 13, 2020On May 14, the Press Information Bureau (PIB) debunked the viral WhatsApp text on Twitter.  “There is no such announcement by Govt.  of India.  Beware of such fraudulent websites,” reads the tweet. Claim- A whatsapp message circulating, claims that workers who worked during 1990-2020 are entitled to receive Rs 120000 from Labour Ministry. #PIBFactCheck: Its #FakeNews!  There is no such announcement by Govt.  of India.  Beware of such fraudulent websites.  pic. twitter. com/qyS0mDmQW4— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) May 14, 2020Alt News found at least three variants of the viral WhatsApp text from 2019.  According to them, the Government of Singapore, Malaysia, and Canada were giving similar benefits.  The Strait Times reported that WhatsApp text claiming workers can claim $2,800 from the government was debunked the Ministry of Manpower, Singapore.
Last year, Alt News published a report debunking the social media claim that Employees’ Provident Fund is giving Rs 80,000 as benefits. Donate NowArchit is a graduate in English Literature from The MS University of Baroda.  He also holds a post-graduation diploma in journalism from the Asian College of Journalism.  Since then he has worked at Essel Group's English news channel at WION as a trainee journalist, at S3IDF as a fundraising & communications officer and at The Hindu as a reporter.  At Alt News, he works as a fact-checking journalist. Assam-based media outlets DY365, Asom Live 24, and NorthEast Now reported that 26 Rohingya Muslims…Actor Amitabh Bachchan tweeted a video on September 8, 2021, as the first unveiling of…In a recent ‘breaking news’ segment, India Today claimed that Ahmad Massoud, head of the…A video is viral on social media with the claim that the police in Ahmednagar,…On September 2, TV actor Sidharth Shukla died of a heart attack.  His fans expressed…


The Speaker of the UK House of Commons says he has instructed House authorities to prepare for the House of Commons to sit tomorrow, given that the prorogation of Parliament was ruled unlawful and void https://t.co/AlkE7a6sY4 https://t.co/sp8ZpAauo7

The decision heaps pressure on the under fire prime minister. Boris Johnson’s suspension of Parliament ruled illegalLONDON -- The U. K.  Supreme Court has ruled that Prime Minister Boris Johnson's move to suspend Parliament was unlawful in a historic judgement Tuesday. The court ruled that Johnson's advice to the Queen requesting that prorogation, meaning the suspension of Parliament in the lead up to the October 31 Brexit deadline, was "unlawful. "The Supreme Court Judge Lady Brenda Hale announced the judgement at the Supreme Court in London Tuesday morning, saying the prorogration had the effect of frustrating the ability of parliament to carry out its constitutional functions without reasonable justifications.  She declared the prorogation was now "void and of no effect," and that Johnson's advice to the Queen was "unlawful. "The decision was unanimously agreed upon by 11 Supreme Court judges. "It is impossible for us to conclude, on the evidence which has been put before us, that there was any reason - let alone a good reason - to advise Her Majesty to prorogue Parliament for five weeks," the judgement says.  "We cannot speculate, in the absence of further evidence, upon what such reasons might have been.  It follows that the decision was unlawful. ""I don't think that it's right, but we will go ahead and of course Parliament will come back," he told the BBC in New York, where he is attending the United Nations General Assembly.  ""We must get on and deliver Brexit on October 31.  They thought the prorogation that we chose was not something they could approve of.  The main thing is that we will get on and deliver Brexit on October 31st . . .  but Parliament will come back and we will respect that. "The bitterly fought and historically unprecedented court case which has huge implications for the future of Brexit means that lawmakers will return to Parliament tomorrow to scrutinize Johnson's plans for Brexit. Queen Elizabeth approved a request by Prime Minister Boris Johnson to suspend Parliament on August 28.  This was a move that observers said was designed to thwart opposition lawmakers from blocking Brexit, prompting protests in cities across the United Kingdom. Two court cases were then brought to challenge the suspension of Parliament which, after various appeals, reached the highest court in the land last week.  Now the court has ruled this was illegal.  The Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow who presides over debates in Parliament said lawmakers would be returning to work as soon as possible, which will most likely be as early as tomorrow morning. Lawmakers and lawyers who campaigned against the move to suspend Parliament immediately called for Johnson’s resignation in the aftermath of the ruling. Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the Labour Party, reacted to the news by saying Johnson had displayed a “contempt for democracy and abuse of power. ”Jo Swinson, the leader of the Liberal Democrat Party which advocates remaining in the EU, said that Johnson “isn’t fit to be prime minister. ”Nicola Sturgeon, the leader of the Scottish National Party, described the ruling as “of truly historic proportions. ”And the prime minister is not just facing criticism from those who advocate remaining in the EU.  Leading Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage called for Johnson’s chief adviser to resign, saying that the decision to prorogue Parliament was the “worst political decision ever. ”Johnson, who helped lead the push to exit the EU in a national referendum three years ago and took over from Theresa May in July has previously said he will accept the court's ruling. But the historic judgement is the latest in a series of crushing defeats for Johnson's government.  Last month Parliament voted to rule out a no-deal Brexit on October 31 by passing a law which will force the prime minister to ask EU leaders for an extension to the Brexit deadline if he is unable to agree a deal. Yet despite the prime minister saying he would rather be "dead in a ditch" than delay Brexit, despite losing two calls for a general election, and despite losing a vote to rule out a no deal Brexit -- all in an incredibly short and turbulent time in office -- the country's future now looks more uncertain than ever. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


Pres. Trump says he is "very proud to veto" the resolution rejecting his border emergency declaration.

"Congress has the freedom to pass this resolution and I have the duty to veto it." https://t.co/Iv4ozadrUg https://t.co/ttWOG3ZM6l

  Deeming congressional rejection of his border national emergency “reckless” and “dangerous”, President Donald Trump issued the first veto of his presidency Friday, insisting the situation on the southern frontier amounted to a threat to Americans’ safety.

  “Congress has the freedom to pass this resolution and I have the duty to veto it,” Trump said from the Oval Office before officially sending the measure back to Congress without his approval.

  It is the first time in his two years in office that Trump has used his presidential veto power to block legislation and comes after a dozen Senate Republicans joined Democrats to rebuke Trump’s use of his national emergency power to bypass Congress and fund construction of a border wall.

  Trump said the resolution, which would have reversed the national emergency, “put countless Americans in danger. ”

  “There haven’t been too many that are bigger emergency than what we have” at our border, he said.

  Trump was surrounded at Friday’s event by officials from Customs and Border Protection as well as surviving family members of those who have loved ones killed by undocumented immigrants.  Attorney General William Barr was also at the President’s veto event.

  While some lawmakers – including some Republicans – have argued against the President’s use of national emergency powers in this instance, the Justice Department set forth a robust defense of the President’s authority to do so in a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell earlier this month, according to a copy obtained by CNN on Friday.

  “The President acted well within his discretion in declaring a national emergency concerning the southern border,” wrote Assistant Attorney General Stephen Boyd, setting out the legal basis for the proclamation under the National Emergencies Act and additional statutory authorities, which largely tracks an internal memo issued by the Office of Legal Counsel at the Justice Department.

  “The President’s emergency Proclamation reasonably described the current situation as an ongoing ‘border security and humanitarian crisis,’” Boyd adds.  “The crisis at the border … may qualify as an emergency even though it, too, is not entirely new. ”

  Twelve Republican senators banded together Thursday to deliver the forceful rebuke after expressing concerns that Trump’s use of the national emergency declaration as an end-run around Congress violates the separation of powers and sets a bad precedent that a would-be future Democratic president could follow to unilaterally drive their agenda.

  The White House sought to pare back Republican defections leading up to the vote, with the President and White House aides making clear to Republican senators that a vote against Trump on this issue would have ramifications come re-election time.

  Trump rejected entreaties from several Senate Republicans to agree to a compromise that would curtail his national emergency powers and instead framed the vote not as a matter of constitutional concerns, but rather as a litmus test on border security.

  The approach – particularly the threats of re-election repercussions – stemmed defections from several Republicans up for re-election in 2020, but ultimately failed to stop the Senate from passing the resolution.

  Trump tweeted about the political advantage he expects those who supported him will receive.

  “I’d like to thank all of the Great Republican Senators who bravely voted for Strong Border Security and the WALL.  This will help stop Crime, Human Trafficking, and Drugs entering our Country.  Watch, when you get back to your State, they will LOVE you more than ever before! ” Trump tweeted Friday.

  Trump’s veto sends the resolution back to the US House of Representatives, which is expected to pick it up after the week-long congressional recess.  The House is not expected to have the two-thirds of the chamber’s support needed to override the President’s veto.

This story has been updated with additional developments Friday.
© 2021 Cable News Network.  A Warner Media Company.  All Rights Reserved.   CNN Sans ™ & © 2016 Cable News Network.


Karbi Anglong Police last night seized 5 kgs of heroin at Assam Nagaland border. Market value of the recovered heroin is said to be Rs 25 Crores. One person has been taken into custody: Director General of Police, Assam https://t.co/dM9ICtua8x

In the biggest drug bust in Assam till date, the police have seized 5 kg of smuggled heroin valued at Rs 25 crore.  One person has been arrested in connection with the incident.  “This is the single biggest seizure of illicit heroin in Assam.  The value of the contraband is nearly Rs 25 cr.  The recovery is part of our ongoing drive against illegal drugs launched in June this year,” Director General of Police Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta told journalists on Monday.  The heroin was seized on Sunday night by police in Karbi Anglong district on the Assam-Nagaland border from a truck which was on its way to Guwahati from Imphal in Manipur.  One person, Ismail Ali, a resident of Jogighopa in Bongaigaon district of Assam, has been arrested for his involvement in smuggling the contraband.  “The seizure shows that our drive against drive is yielding results.  The quality of the seized heroin is stated to be of very high grade.  I commend the people involved in the seizure,” said Mahanta.  This is the fourth seizure of heroin by Karbi Anglong police since August.  On August 5, police seized 649 gm of heroin valued at nearly Rs 20 lakh.  On September 1, 936 gm of heroin valued at Rs 6. 5 cr was seized and on September 15 police seized 1 kilo 40 gm of heroin and arrested three persons


Joe Biden: "Even if I win, it's going to take a lot of hard work to end this pandemic...But what I can promise you is this: we will start on day one doing the right things." https://t.co/26pzVYxUID https://t.co/vZ0KqLuaiW

By Mark Morales, Andy Rose,  Hollie Silverman and Ray Sanchez, CNNUpdated 9:12 PM ET, Wed October 28, 2020  (CNN)A citywide curfew in Philadelphia was in effect Wednesday night after two nights of protests and looting following the fatal police shooting of Walter Wallace Jr. *Alert* A large crowd of appx 1000 is looting businesses in the area of Castor and Aramingo.  Avoid the areaCNN's Brynn Gingras, Linh Tran, Andy Buck, Ganesh Setty, Laura Ly, Lauren del Valle, Mirna Alsharif, Richard Davis and Steve Almasy contributed to this report.


644 militants of eight banned outfits surrender in Assam along with 177 arms, says police chief

Read: https://t.co/ZZWmWV5e88

(📸: ANI) https://t.co/mkdfv2FB2W

A total of 644 militants of eight banned insurgent outfits surrendered in Assam on Thursday along with 177 arms, police said. The members of the insurgent groups -- ULFA (I), NDFB, RNLF, KLO, CPI (Maoist), NSLA, ADF and NLFB -- surrendered in presence of Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal at a programme here. “This is an important day for the state and the Assam Police.  Altogether 644 cadres and leaders of eight militant groups laid down their arms,” Director General of Police Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta told reporters. He said it was one of the largest surrender of militants in the recent times.


Gurjar leader Kirori Singh Bainsla to join Bharatiya Janata Party today. https://t.co/fMcwpcEOMs

Gujjar quota agitation leader Kirori Singh Bainsla on Wednesday joined the BJP at the party’s headquarters in New DelhiBainsla’s son Vijay Bainsla also joined the party in the presence of BJP’s Rajasthan-in-charge Prakash Javadekar.  “I have seen rarest of rare qualities in Prime Minister Narendra Modi and that’s why I am joining the BJP,” Kirori Singh Bainsla said, adding the PM interacts with common people and he is inspired by Modi’s working style. Bainsla said that he has been close to chief ministers of both parties -- the BJP and the Congress -- and had seen their ideologies.  “After seeing two parties closely, I am joining the BJP,” he said. Javadekar said Bainsla had also met party president Amit Shah in the morning. He said that with each passing day, the BJP is emerging stronger in Rajasthan and win all 25 Lok Sabha seats.


Seven buses of Haryana Roadways carrying 267 migrant labourers from Ambala departed for Uttar Pradesh yesterday, amid #CoronavirusLockdown. https://t.co/A5i3m2Rn2f

A group of minority refugees from Bangladesh living in Uttar Pradesh who had come to Lucknow on Tuesday to thank Union home minister Amit Shah for amending the citizenship law, said they felt overwhelmed by the decision. Nirmal Vishvas from Ravindranagar, Mohammadi near Lakhimpur Kheri, told HT that his family had come from erstwhile East Pakistan, Bangladesh.  “Back then in 1964, I was only 8 years old.  My father died while migrating,” recalled Nirmal who is now 65 years old.  “Those were horrifying years.  Back in East Pakistan, now Bangladesh, we were hounded and targeted by the majority.  We watched our women get raped, our children killed.  Many were forced to convert,” he said recalling the reasons why they shifted to India. ALSO WATCH | ‘Won’t withdraw CAA; challenge opposition leaders for a debate’: Amit ShahAmit Shah met them ahead of his Lucknow rally.  “When I met them, they had tears in their eyes and found words hard to come by,” Shah said. The BJP claims that the group comprised refugees from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh.  Under the Citizenship Amendment Act they can qualify for Indian citizenship if they arrived in India on or before December 31, 2014.  The refugees said nearly 200 families had initially come to India, mainly from East Pakistan’s Khulna, Jessore and Faridpur areas.  Gradually, their numbers grew as atrocities across the border increased, they said.  Anukool Chandra Das, who came from Lakhimpur Kheri’s Ramia Behad block, said his parents migrated from East Pakistan’s Faridpur.  “I was only 14 years old then.  Initially, we put up at a camp in present-day Chhattisgarh and after spending three months in the transit camp, nearly 1700 families arrived in Udham Singh Nagar.  Later, thousands of others came to settle in Lakhimpur Kheri in 1970,” he said. Another refugee said, “In India, those who had arrived after 1964 weren’t registered and so we lived on roads without any facilities.  After the citizenship law we would be able to get facilities, respect and recognition. ”UP minister Shrikant Sharma had recently said that the state government has identified 33000 refugees who had migrated from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan and were living in UP.  “These were initial numbers and these would obviously be updated,” Sharma said. The district magistrates have been tasked with physically verifying those who had migrated from these three countries and were living in UP. Government officials said that the refugees would only be made to fill up a simple form before initiating the process for their registration. At the rally, Shah said that the CAA will not be taken back and called for a public debate on the legislation that has sparked protests in various parts of the country and forced the BJP to launch an awareness campaign. Shah accused the opposition of spreading propaganda against the citizenship law that fast-tracks citizenship for non-Muslim refugees from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh.  The Opposition claims that the law is unconstitutional because it makes religion a test of citizenship.


Bradley Cooper and Michael B. Jordan brought their moms along to walk the #Oscars red carpet. https://t.co/QT4d6RCwcC https://t.co/OBZXjNtJkU

  Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga: Is it hard keeping it so hardcore?

  Not only did Lady Gaga win an Oscar on Sunday night, but her performance with Bradley Cooper hit viewers right in the feels.

  Shot entirely from upstage, with the audience acting as a backdrop, the duo’s rendition of “Shallow” from their film “A Star Is Born” was as intimate as it was seeped in chemistry.

  The pair, who played lovers in the film, have a well-chronicled connection off screen, and it was on display while crooning the nominee for original song.

  Lady Gaga thanked Cooper in her acceptance speech.

  “There’s not a single person on the planet that could have sang this song with me but you. ”
Art is intimate.  Good art will get you pregnant.  Great art can change the world.  @ladygaga is a creative force, a soldier of epic proportions, and a goddess of authenticity #oscars  pic. twitter. com/CvU23ehcF7Raise your hand if you thought Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper were about to make out.  #Oscars  pic. twitter. com/PcJ41DpuPmOkay, Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper’s performance was gorgeous.  I’ve tried to resist the allure but god damn it.  That was HOT. Something major just happened.  After “Shallow” perf, @ladygaga & Bradley Cooper exited stage for commercial break.  During break, they came back to their seats from stage then audience gave them another standing o.  I’ve never seen that happen for any performers.  Cue embrace#Oscars pic. twitter. com/k9wNh66tn1
  The internet agrees.

© 2021 Cable News Network.  A Warner Media Company.  All Rights Reserved.   CNN Sans ™ & © 2016 Cable News Network.


Wife of Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman arrested at Dulles Airport on international drug trafficking charges, with prosecutors accusing her of participating in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine, meth, heroin and marijuana for import into the U.S. https://t.co/0lFagY5zNR

By Christina Carrega and Kay Jones, CNNUpdated 2:40 PM ET, Tue February 23, 2021  (CNN)The wife of drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzmán Loera will remain behind bars following her arrest in Virginia on federal drug trafficking charges, a District of Columbia magistrate judge ruled Tuesday.  CNN's Ray Sanchez, Maria Santana, Sonia Moghe and Jay Croft contributed to this report.


In pictures: Fire engulfs Notre Dame https://t.co/pY9Iq9NJ4B https://t.co/4rznIExCLg

The flames caused a 315-foot spire to topple over.  Fire nearly destroys Notre Dame CathedralA fire has engulfed the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, one of the city's most iconic sights. The fire began at 6:50 p. m.  local time Monday, the Paris fire department said, and continued to burn hours later. A French firefighter official told reporters the main structure of the cathedral has been saved and the two iconic main towers are intact and have been saved as well. French Mayor Anne Hidalgo said that authorities were evacuating people from buildings in the area -- including homes close to the cathedral. A spokesperson for the cathedral described the damage to French media as "colossal. ""Everything is burning, nothing will remain from the frame," the spokesperson said. First responders are currently trying to salvage priceless art stored inside the cathedral, said Paris Deputy Mayor Emmanuel Gregoire.  Last week, the statues of the apostles were removed for restoration, The Associated Press reported. Images on social media show smoke and flames shooting from the top of Notre Dame as massive plumes of smoke billow into the sky above. One video shows a spire toppling over as a result of the flames. The fire may be connected to the recent restoration of the church, officials said.  The restoration work costs 120 million euros, the Notre Dame Paris office told ABC News, adding that a fire alarm test conducted last week went well. The roof has completely collapsed, witness John Dickas, an American professor living in Paris, told ABC News. Large crowds have begun to gather around the scene.  Some members of the crowd began to sing hymns as the cathedral burned. The cathedral was built around 1260 AD and towered over the city of Paris for centuries.  Much of the facade and interior are true to their original designs. French President Emmanuel Macron expressed sadness at the sight of the historic building's demise, saying it captures the "emotion of an entire nation. ""Thinking of all the Catholics and all the French people," Macron wrote.  "Like all of our countrymen, I am sad tonight to see part of us burning. "Monday is the start of Holy Week, the busiest and most important period of the liturgical year.  Easter is on Sunday. American Kelly Weymouth, who is currently studying abroad in Paris, said she was taking a sunset cruise on the Seine river with her mother when the fire broke out. At one point, as the traffic on the river was stopped, Weymouth and about 40 fellow passengers from all over the world watched in horror for about 45 minutes as the fire destroyed the cathedral, she said. The Frenchmen who were on the boat began to sob and embrace each other, Weymouth said, describing the moment as "very intense. ""We express our closeness to French Catholics and the Parisians and assure them of our prayers for the firefighters and all those that are doing everything possible to fight this dramatic situation," the statement read. "If it collapses, you can imagine how important the damage will be," Gallet said. Around 500 firefighters were involved in helping to put out the fire, Macron said. "The worst was avoided even if the battle has not been completely won," Macron said, vowing to rebuild the historic structure by utilizing "the best talents. "ABC News' Ben Gittleson and Kirit Radia contributed to this report. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


Rep. Eric Swalwell: "Did you want to interview Donald Trump Jr.?"

Robert Mueller: "I'm not going to discuss that."

"Did you subpoena Donald Trump Jr?"

"And I'm not going to discuss that." https://t.co/CXfCvYspNV #MuellerHearings https://t.co/7e2zGR0464

By Veronica Rocha, Meg Wagner and Amanda Wills, CNNFrom CNN's Adam LevineFormer special counsel Robert Mueller testified today before the House Judiciary and House Intelligence committees. We're wrapping up our live coverage of his testimony. In case you missed it, here are the key takeaways from his second hearing:Democratic Rep.  Jerry Nadler, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said the House will seek grand jury material to enforce a subpoena against former White House counsel Don McGahn. Some background: In May, the White House instructed former McGahn not to comply with a subpoena for documents Nadler, teeing up the latest in a series of escalating oversight showdowns between the Trump administration and congressional Democrats. McGahn's decision not to comply with the subpoena could push Nadler to hold McGahn in contempt of Congress, just as he's moving to do with Attorney General William Barr after the Justice Department defied a subpoena for the unredacted Mueller report and underlying evidence. Asked if the House should launch impeachment proceedings, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi avoided answering the question directly, saying they still have some things to sort out. Democratic Rep.  Elijah Cummings, chair of the Government Reform and Oversight Committee, said at the press conference that, “This is a critical moment in our country's history. " Cummings called today's hearings a "giant step in making sure that the American people got a picture of all this and, hopefully, will look towards the future and say we’re not going to have this. ""I’m begging the American people to pay attention to what is going on," he said. Rep.  Adam Schiff said the US needs to "harden" its "election defenses" going into the 2020 election. The comments come after former Special Counsel Robert Mueller testified before two congressional committees today.  Mueller talked about his investigation into Russian election meddling: a topic Schiff said puts America in a "vulnerable" position. During his testimony, Mueller said the Russians expect to meddle in the 2020 election. "It wasn't a single attempt.  They're doing it as we sit here.  And they expect to do it during the next campaign," Mueller said. Rep.  Jerry Nadler, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, laid out key lines from Robert Mueller's testimony this evening. Nadler, speaking at a news conference, said Mueller's report found that President Trump obstructed justice and abused power.  He went on to say that Mueller also found Trump benefited from Russia's help. From CNN's Betsy KleinAsked by CNN about former special counsel Robert Mueller saying he generally agreed that President Trump's written answers to investigators were not always truthful, Trump claimed Mueller’s answers weren’t truthful. “I don’t know whose answers weren’t — I guess his (Mueller’s) answers weren’t, because if you look, the whole report, you take a look at what they did.  Some of the things that didn’t even know about, some of the things he didn’t even know what was going on.  But you know, in the end what he did, he actually probably came through for himself,” Trump said. He went on to criticize Mueller’s performance. “The performance was obviously not very good.  He had a lot of problems, but what he showed more than anything else is that this whole thing has been three years of embarrassment and waste of time for our country.  And you know what, the Democrats thought they could win an election like this.  I think they hurt themselves very badly for 2020,” Trump said. Asked if Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr. , spoke with Mueller, Trump said he did not know. “I don’t know.  I really don’t know — I don’t know — I mean frankly, whether or not he did it wouldn’t matter to me because he did nothing wrong,” Trump said, calling his son’s June 2016 meeting with Russians “a very unimportant meeting. ”From CNN's Jeremy DiamondPresident Trump said that he has no regrets about refusing to sit down for an interview with former special counsel Robert Mueller during his investigation. "No, I did the right thing," he told reporters today, pointing to the number of individuals who were charged with lying to federal investigators. Trump falsely diminished the lies that witnesses who were charged with lying told to investigators, suggesting that simply mischaracterizing "a date" or the weather could lead to federal charges. "I've seen how they've destroyed people like Gen.  Flynn and so many others, what they've done to people," Trump said.  "No, I did the right thing. "President Trump said he knew the investigation into his campaign's ties with Russia was a "hoax. "Trump's remarks come after former special counsel Robert Mueller testified in front of two congressional committees today and told lawmakers that Russia's interference was "not a hoax. ""Absolutely, it was not a hoax.  The indictments we returned against the Russians, two different ones, were substantial in their scope using the scope word again.  And I think one of the -- we have underplayed to a certain," Mueller said. Trump also told reporters that he appreciated Republicans and "those incredible warriors" who were "defending our country. ""Republicans that defended something and defended something very powerful, very important because they were really defending our country more than anything else.  They were defending our country.  But they were warriors and they’ve been warriors for a long time.  And everybody knew it was a hoax, especially the Democrats," Trump said. Please enable JavaScript for a better experience.


NEW: Attorney for Roger Stone responds to indictment in Mueller probe on charges of obstruction, false statements, and witness tampering: "There was no Russian collusion, it's a clear attempt at silencing Roger…He will fight the charges." https://t.co/WHDdCLNtj9 https://t.co/a1cKmUzQVp

Editor’s Note: John Avlon is a CNN senior political analyst and anchor.  The opinions expressed in this commentary are his own.  View more opinion articles on CNN.

  Footage of armed FBI agents storming Roger Stone’s Fort Lauderdale, Florida, home was dramatic.  But the real drama was in the 24-page indictment filed by special counsel Robert Mueller.  Beyond Stone’s shocking text messages detailed in the court document, one sentence really jumps out.  It appears innocuous at first, buried on Page 4.  But it raises questions that could potentially lead to evidence of collusion and embroil President Donald Trump himself.

  Here’s the sentence: “After the July 22, 2016 release of stolen DNC emails by Organization 1, a senior Trump Campaign official was directed to contact STONE about any additional releases and what other damaging information Organization 1 had regarding the Clinton Campaign. ”

This is devastating for Trump

  There’s a lot to unpack here, but the key phrase is this – “a senior Trump Campaign official was directed to contact STONE about any additional releases. ”

  The question isn’t which senior Trump official contacted Stone, but who directed this person to do so.  The only logical possibilities could fit in a phone booth.  It’s conceivable that the only people senior officials would take that kind of direction from would be either Trump or Paul Manafort, his campaign chairman at the time.

  And perhaps those two men are about the only folks who would have held Stone in high enough esteem to ask another campaign official to enlist the notoriously dirty trickster as a middle man for such a suspect mission.  Keep in mind that Stone is Trump’s longest-serving political adviser.  Their relationship dates back decades, and the political strategist has counseled Trump on his political flirtations long before his presidential campaign launched in 2015.

  And Manafort was Stone’s partner at the consulting firm Black, Manafort and Stone – which, among other firms, was once referred to as “the torturer’s lobby. ” Stone was no longer an official campaign adviser by August 2015, but aides said Trump still spoke to him during the campaign.

Stone vows to fight Mueller charges

  The date pegged to the order to contact Stone is significant as well.  On July 22, 2016, WikiLeaks released its first batch of hacked Democratic National Committee emails after Julian Assange teased the drop.  It’s safe to assume the release was on the campaign’s mind.  And the DNC had already said in June 2016 that it had been hacked by Russian-backed entities.  It was also known that WikiLeaks served as a clearinghouse for Russia, and as CIA chief, Mike Pompeo would later call WikiLeaks “a nonstate hostile intelligence service often abetted by state actors like Russia. ” This was the consensus of US intelligence services at the time.

  It struck so many as strange that the Republican candidate and many of his most public advocates would embrace WikiLeaks – and Russia – so publicly.  Just five days after that first WikiLeaks release, Trump made one of his most infamous statements.  During a July 27 press conference, Trump appealed directly to Russia to hack the emails of his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton.  “Russia, if you’re listening, I hope you’re able to find the 30,000 e-mails that are missing.  I think you will probably be rewarded mightily by our press. ”

  Candidate Trump’s cheerleading of WikiLeaks only picked up over the course of the campaign, as did Stone’s contacts with alleged intermediaries Jerome Corsi and Randy Credico (referred to as Person 1 and 2, respectively, in the indictment) and WikiLeaks (Organization 1).

  The requests grew more specific and appeared targeted to reinforce campaign narratives, which were also being echoed by social media memes being pushed by Russian trolls.  After WikiLeaks dropped another bombshell on October 7, an associate of a high-ranking Trump campaign official texted Stone saying, “Well done. ”

  Over the course of the next month – the critical final four weeks of the campaign – Trump publicly mentioned WikiLeaks 137 times, according to Politifact.

  That’s a lot of evident interest about WikiLeaks from Trump himself.  The hacked emails were clearly top of mind.  And now we know that Stone had been tasked with relaying information about potential Clinton dirt.  The open question is who asked him to do it.  That sentence in the Stone indictment suggests it could go to the very top of the Trump campaign.
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Galwan braveheart Col Santosh Babu named for Mahavir Chakra in #RepublicDay  honours

(report by Shishir Gupta)

https://t.co/heZvfnZEDX https://t.co/exGCkPsxZT

Colonel B Santosh Babu, the commanding officer of 16 Bihar battalion, who led soldiers to evict Chinese soldiers from East Ladakh’s Galwan Valley last June, has been posthumously named for Mahavir Chakra, India’s second-highest military award for acts of conspicuous gallantry in the presence of the enemy, an official announcement by the Defence Ministry said on Monday. The government also named four other soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice in the Galwan operation for the gallantry awards announced on the eve of the Republic Day parade.  The four Vir Chakra awardees, also posthumous, are Naib Subedar Nuduram Soren (16 Bihar), Havildar K Palani (81 Field), Havildar Tejinder Singh (3 Medium), Naik Deepak Singh (16 Bihar) and Sepoy Gurtej Singh (3 Punjab). The bloody Galwan clash was the first deadly conflict between India and China in at least 45 years and was seen to underline the risk of the border standoff escalating into a full-scale confrontation.  The news of the Republic Day honours for the Galwan bravehearts came hours after a fourth clash between Indian and Chinese troops in the last year was reported from north Sikkim. Twenty Indian soldiers including Col Santosh Babu were killed in the seven-hour-long clash that at its peak involved more than 600 rival soldiers.  China acknowledged the PLA suffered casualties in the violent scrap but didn’t give any figures. Also Read: Naku La face-off and Taiwan show of force are part of Beijing expansionist plansThe Indian Army, based on intelligence inputs and communication intercepts, believes the PLA lost at least 50 soldiers including the commanding officer of the battalion concerned. India’s national security planners believe PLA soldiers, who had come prepared with clubs wrapped with barbed-wire and spears, had hoped to wrest control of Galwan Valley from India.  But they were evicted by the Indian soldiers in the operation listed in army records as Operation Snow Leopard. A majority of the casualties on both sides were caused by hypothermia when soldiers were pushed off the cliff into the freezing Galwan river. Also Read: How the Galwan Valley tragedy can transform Himalayan geopoliticsPrime Minister Narendra Modi who had travelled to Ladakh soon after the Galwan clash had lauded the courage of soldiers who repelled the Chinese aggression.  “Bharat Mata’s enemies have seen your fire and fury,” PM Modi had said. A memorial was also built for the soldiers who laid down their lives.  According to the inscription at the memorial: “The (Indian Army’s) column successfully evicted the PLA OP from Y Nala and reached Patrolling Point 14 where a fierce skirmish broke out between the Indian Army and PLA troops.  Col B Santosh Babu led from the front and his troops fought gallantly in hand-to-hand combat, causing heavy casualties to the PLA”.


.@MaryKBruce: While it's unclear if President Trump will mention impeachment in his #SOTU address, "what is clear is that it's going to be pretty awkward in the chamber ... The president will be standing there speaking to Democrats who have impeached him." https://t.co/V348HNExNh https://t.co/f5pXEgPjmS

By Phil Mattingly, Manu Raju, Jeremy Herb and Clare Foran, CNNUpdated 7:20 PM ET, Wed February 5, 2020  (CNN)House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told House Democrats in a closed-door caucus meeting on Wednesday morning that she "shredded" the President's State of the Union speech Tuesday night because Trump "shredded the truth" in his address, according to one person in the room.  CNN's Paul LeBlanc contributed to this report.


Free beer is the latest White House-backed incentive for Americans to get vaccinated for COVID-19, as Pres. Biden is announcing a “month of action” to get more shots into arms before the July 4 holiday. https://t.co/zE3dgSFb9P

Analysis by Stephen Collinson, CNNUpdated 9:37 AM ET, Thu June 3, 2021  (CNN)This Bud's for you, and anyone else ready to roll up their sleeve to put the pandemic behind them.


Bob Woodward discusses the conclusion of his book “Rage” where he writes, “Trump is the wrong man for the job.” https://t.co/CpZR1Dthmz

Wisconsin is seeing an "alarming increase," especially at colleges. US crosses 250,000 coronavirus deathsA pandemic of the novel coronavirus has now killed more than 968,000 people worldwide. Over 31. 4 million people across the globe have been diagnosed with COVID-19, the disease caused by the new respiratory virus, according to data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.  The criteria for diagnosis -- through clinical means or a lab test -- has varied from country-to-country.  Still, the actual numbers are believed to be much higher due to testing shortages, many unreported cases and suspicions that some national governments are hiding or downplaying the scope of their outbreaks. Since the first cases were detected in China in December, the virus has rapidly spread to every continent except Antarctica. The United States is the worst-affected country, with more than 6. 8 million diagnosed cases and at least 200,768 deaths. California has the most cases of any U. S.  state, with more than 793,000 people diagnosed, according to Johns Hopkins data.  California is followed by Texas and Florida, with over 741,000 cases and over 687,000 cases, respectively. Nearly 170 vaccine candidates for COVID-19 are being tracked by the World Health Organization, at least six of which are in crucial phase three trials. New COVID-19 cases increased nationally over the last week, according to an internal FEMA memo obtained by ABC News. In the last seven days, new cases went up 15. 1% compared to the previous seven days, the memo said. Cases are going up in 22 states and territories, with Colorado in particular seeing a "sharp uptick" in cases last week "primarily related to institutions of higher education," the memo noted.  Within Colorado, the counties of Denver, Adams and Boulder had the highest number of new cases over the last three weeks, according to the memo.  Boulder County -- home to the University of Colorado-Boulder -- reported the largest number of cases last week, it said. Wisconsin is also seeing a surge in cases tied to college campuses.  Over 80% of all counties in the state have moderate or high levels of community transmission, according to the memo, and a large proportion of the localities with the fastest-growing epidemics have a University of Wisconsin campus.  Last week, the University of Wisconsin-Madison reported more than 700 cases, the memo said.  Eighteen- to 24-year-olds have a case rate five times higher than any other age group in the state, FEMA found. Deaths due to COVID-19 were stagnant nationally, according to the memo.  In the last week, there was a 0. 6% decrease in recorded deaths over the previous week.  Virginia had its second-worst week of reported deaths last week, with 238, including the first COVID-19 death in a child in the state, the memo said. The national test-positivity rate ticked downward slightly in the past seven days, to 4. 4%, said the memo.  It was 4. 6% for the prior seven-day period. ABC News' Josh Margolin contributed to this report. In North Carolina, larger outdoor event venues can reopen at 7% capacity on Oct.  2. , Gov.  Roy Cooper said Tuesday. The state's positive test percentage has been dropping and is now between 5 and 6%, state officials said. Meanwhile, North Carolina's Department of Health and Human Services announced a new contact tracing app called "SlowCOVIDNC. "The app will alert people "when they may have been exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19," the Department of Health and Human Services said Tuesday.  "It is completely anonymous and does not collect, store or share personal information or location data. "Wisconsin Gov.  Tony Evers declared a public health emergency on Tuesday due to a "recent surge in cases among young people. "Eighteen to 24 year olds have a COVID-19 case rate five times higher than any other age group, according to the governor. "We are seeing an alarming increase in cases across our state, especially on campus," Evers said in a statement.  "We need folks to start taking this seriously, and young people especially—please stay home as much as you are able, skip heading to the bars, and wear a mask whenever you go out. "Wisconsin is "experiencing unprecedented, near-exponential growth of the COVID-19 pandemic," the governor's office said. On Aug.  31, the number of new daily cases reported in the state was at 678.  On Monday, the number of daily cases reported was 1,791. Evers on Tuesday also issued a new face covering order requiring residents ages 5 and older to wear a mask indoors. The novel coronavirus has now killed 200,000 people in the United States, just eight months after the nation's first confirmed case. The U. S.  death toll from COVID-19 currently stands at 200,005, according to a real-time count kept by Johns Hopkins University. The first case of the novel coronavirus in the United States was reported in a patient in Washington state on Jan.   20, according to the U. S.  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Four months later, on May 27, the U. S.  death toll reached 100,000. The novel coronavirus has now killed nearly twice as many Americans as the 116,516 who died in World War I, the third-deadliest conflict in the nation's history.  More than 400,000 Americans died in World War II, while an estimated 655,000 died in the Civil War. See this additional ABC News coverage marking the grim milestone:200,000 Americans have died from coronavirus: A look at that grim milestone in contextAs US hits 200,000 COVID-19 deaths, experts warn of growing mental health crisisWe've hit 200,000 COVID-19 deaths in 6 months.  What will the next 6 months look like? 200,000 American lives lost from COVID-19: Here's what we've learnedWHO on a coronavirus second wave, lockdowns and how the world responded to the pandemic200,000 dead: Federal response marked by chaotic messaging, unwarranted optimismABC News' Marc Nathanson contributed to this report.


Singer Chris Brown and two other people arrested in Paris for "aggravated rape and drug-related infractions," according to a French judicial source. https://t.co/DCstQcMeMn https://t.co/UQY5S72Q27

    Singer Chris Brown has been released from police custody and he won’t face any charges at this time, the Paris prosecutor’s office said.

    Brown and two others, who were not identified, were arrested Tuesday in Paris on allegations of aggravated rape and drug violations, a French judicial source told CNN.

    No charges have been filed against any of them, the prosecutor’s office said, but the investigation is ongoing.

    The US Embassy in Paris has declined to comment on Brown’s arrest.

    The singer issued a statement on his Instagram account on Tuesday denying the accusations.

    “I wanna make it perfectly clear …. .  This is false and a whole lot of CAP! ,” he wrote in the all-caps message.  “… For my daughter and my family this is so disrespectful and is against my character and morals! ! ! ! ”

    Raphael Chiche, the singer’s attorney, said his client “vigorously protests his innocence” and has directed him to file a complaint due to the “slander of which he has unfairly been the subject. ”

    The singer has had several run-ins with the law, including physical assault charges after an incident with his then-girlfriend, Rihanna, in 2009.  He was charged with felony assault and making criminal threats in that incident, and received five years probation and community service.

Rihanna fans upset over Breezy’s Instagram comments

    Most recently before the Paris incident, Brown was arrested in July after a concert in West Palm Beach, Florida, on a felony battery charge stemming from an April 2017 incident in which he was accused of punching a man who photographed him without permission.

    He was released after posting $2,000 bail, pleaded not guilty at a subsequent hearing and is awaiting trial.

    In 2013, Brown and his bodyguard were arrested and charged with felony assault after an alleged altercation outside a hotel in Washington.  The charge was reduced to a misdemeanor in court the next day, and Brown was released from jail without bail.

    Later that year, Brown was kicked out of a rehab facility after smashing his mother’s car window during a family session.  A judge ordered him to immediately enter into another rehab program.

    He was hit with a probation violation in March 2014 for being booted from the rehab facility, and a judge put him in jail.  In May of that year, while he was still incarcerated, he pleaded guilty to a probation violation stemming from the Washington fight.

    He was released from jail in June 2014, and about three months later, he pleaded guilty in the Washington fight and was sentenced to time served – one day in prison – and a $150 fine.

  CNN’s Samantha Beech contributed to this report.
© 2021 Cable News Network.  A Warner Media Company.  All Rights Reserved.   CNN Sans ™ & © 2016 Cable News Network.


First US consignment of support materials expected by Friday, India asks for vaccines

(@Rezhasan reports)

#COVID19 #Covid19IndiaHelp

https://t.co/HIkpd0tYfj https://t.co/gUGUbnPUOo

With the first consignment of US support materials for India’s Covid-19 response expected to arrive by Friday, people familiar with developments said on Wednesday that India has sought ready-to-use vaccines from the Biden administration.  The government’s international procurement programme is currently focused on critical medicines such as Remdesivir and oxygen-related equipment, especially concentrators, cylinders and large and small liquid oxygen tanks, that can be used to ramp up the supply of oxygen across the country.  The first Russian consignment of support materials too is expected to arrive in the country on Thursday and the first batch of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine is set to reach India by the end of the month, the people said on condition of anonymity.  Details of the first consignment being sent by the US are still being worked out, though it is expected to contain a mix of equipment and supplies and some of the materials that could be sourced from US military bases in different parts of the world, the people said.  Asked about reported comments by senior US officials at a recent background briefing that India hadn’t made any request for ready-to-use vaccines from the Biden administration, the people said this matter was raised on a couple of occasions with the American side.  “The Indian side has said it would be useful to have US vaccines, may not be specifically the AstraZeneca vaccine, since India now has a fast track mechanism for approving vaccines.  The US is aware of our interest in procuring vaccines, AstraZeneca or otherwise,” said one of the people cited above.  The people also noted that the US does not currently have a large stockpile of the AstraZeneca vaccine – some 10 million doses had been produced so far and about 50 million doses are expected to be manufactured in May and June.  There is also no clarity on how many doses from this stockpile will be provided to the country though President Joe Biden has himself mentioned that some of it will be sent to India, the people said.  The Indian side has managed to get support from a large number of people in the US, including the administration, members of Congress and private businesses, and this is expected to be reflected in the materials that are set to arrive in the coming days, they said.  India’s missions around the world are focusing on procuring critical medicines such as Remdesivir, Tocilizumab, and Favipiravir, and the Indian side’s ability to convinced pharmaceutical major Gilead to donate 450,000 doses of Remdesivir is being seen as a “big success”.  More supplies of Remdesivir are also expected from other countries, the people said.  The current focus on oxygen-related equipment such as concentrators and cylinders is because it is difficult to import oxygen.  “Liquid oxygen can’t be airlifted and has to be brought in by ship.  Even there, we need special cryogenic tankers and their numbers are limited across the world.  So far, there is one commercial shipment coming from Saudi Arabia,” said the first person cited above.  Large oxygen generating plants, such as the ones being sent by Germany and France, are useful though they need considerable time to be installed and set up, the people said.  On the other hand, large and small liquid oxygen tanks can help move the commodity from points of production to healthcare facilities across the country, they added.  The people said there had been no formal response to offers of assistance from Pakistan and China.  There are no problems with commercial procurements from China by private Indian firms, such as the purchase of large numbers of oxygen concentrators from Hong Kong, the people said.  The Indian government, especially the external affairs ministry and health ministry, is accelerating the procurements from abroad by relaxing import procedures and waiving duties and also ensuring the supplies speedily reach the places where they are needed the most and are also used properly, the people said.  All supplies from foreign governments and partners are being routed through the Indian Red Cross Society and countries are also free to provide aid directly to NGOs or other entities in India.  The people reiterated that there had been no international appeal for assistance and India was looking to procure specific products from around the world.


Twitter user @kavithalankesh tweeted a page from a study material given to students that talks about 'advantages of dowry' with a claim that it is from a social science book for Gujarat Education Board and saying that it is being taught to 'millions of children across Gujarat'

The tweet has already been retweeted 330 times and is being shared by others.  For instance, Twitter user @lovethyyyself quote-tweeted @kavithalankesh's tweet tagging a few Twitter users and saying "Check this, not sure if it's from Gujarat but it's utter rubbish".  The page that is being shared glorifies regressive ideas about dowry to an extent that it says dowry increases the status of women in family and that it is a "useful and effective method of attracting good, handsome and sometimes unwilling boys for marriage".  It also lists, "The marriage of ugly girls, who otherwise would have gone without a partner, is made possible by offering heavy amount of dowry," as one of the 'important advantages' of dowry.  India's Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961, prohibits giving and taking of dowry.  TRUTHThe page is not from a social science book for Gujarat Education Board but from the study material provided by the sociology department of St Joseph's College in Bengaluru in 2017.  VERIFICATION AND METHODOLOGYA simple reverse-image search on Google on the image tweeted by the Twitter user will lead you to a   report   in the Times of India titled, "The 'advantages of dowry,' according to a college's study material", last updated on October 21, 2017.  The report has the same image tweeted by @kavithalankesh.  On digging deeper, we found the original post made by a Facebook user two years ago.  Facebook user Rithika Ramesh posted the same image on October 18, 2017 saying, "This is the study material provided by St.  Joesph's College, Shanti Nagar, Bengaluru, to a BA student. "   The post has been shared over 10,000 times.  A report in The News Minute said that the college authorities initially refuted such a study material was provided to the students but later released a statement to the media.  The statement said, "The matter is being investigated and we are trying to find the root of the problem.  Such views have never part of the college syllabus.  In fact the department and the college are opposed to such obscurantist and oppressive patriarchal views as are contained in the page cited," as per the report.  Times Fact Check has reached out the Public Relations Officer of the College to know if there is any update about the investigation initiated two years ago.  This space will be updated as and when we get a response.


Jill Biden will headline the second night of the Democratic National Convention, delivering a speech that's expected to highlight the personal side of former Vice President Joe Biden https://t.co/SMUbPXQRig

Biden spoke with 'Good Morning America' following her convention address TuesdayDr.  Jill Biden shares why people should vote for her husbandFormer Second Lady, Dr.  Jill Biden said her husband, former Vice President Joe Biden, is up to the task of the presidency, defending him against attacks questioning the 77-year-old’s mental capability. “I see Joe every single day and he's writing speeches, he's being briefed, he's making phone calls, he's on the zoom constantly, he's doing fundraisers.  I mean, we go from nine in the morning till, gosh, 10, 11 at night,” Biden said in an interview with "Good Morning America" Wednesday. “I don't see any of that.  I mean, Joe is totally engaged and you know Joe, I mean he just, he loves it,” she continued.  “He's the, I guess, consummate politician. ”Biden spoke following her address to the nation at the Democratic National Convention Tuesday night, and recalled the emotion of her husband officially becoming the Democratic Nominee, more than 30 years after he launched his first presidential campaign. “I was feeling really elated.  I was so happy for Joe, I'm so happy that the nation got to see really who my husband is because I've known all along how strong he is and what a great leader he is and what a great leader he will be for this nation, so I'm just so proud of Joe and I'm glad that America got to see,” she said. The former vice president has been attending the quadrennial gatherings for the Democratic Party for nearly 50 years, however the culminating event for Biden is taking place in an unconventional form: an almost entirely virtual format due to the coronavirus pandemic. While he officially won the nomination without the usual pomp and circumstance, Biden’s grandkids did deliver a surprise celebration with confetti and balloons. “I think they were in this conspiracy--they were all doing it together.  It was a lot of fun,” Biden said. Biden, an educator herself, also urged the nation to listen to the experts on the question of when to return to the classroom, describing conversations she is having with concerned citizens all over the country. “That's what I'm hearing from people all over this nation, whether it's educators or parents, they're texting me, they're calling me, ‘What should we do, what should we do?  There's a lot of anxiety.  And so I think we have to listen to the experts, and when the experts say it's safe to go back, we'll go back,” Biden said. During her remarks at Brandywine High school in Wilmington, Delaware, Tuesday night--a school she taught English at in the early 1990s--Biden laid out a personal case for her husband to voters as the final speaker of the two-hour event. “The burdens we carry are heavy, and we need someone with strong shoulders.  I know that if we entrust this nation to Joe, he will do for your family what he did for ours: bring us together and make us whole.  Carry us forward in our time of need.  Keep the promise of America, for all of us,” Biden pledged of her husband’s presidency. Asked what she most looks forward to if she gets the chance to serve as the nation’s First Lady, Biden said she hopes to focus on many of the same initiatives she championed when her husband served as Barack Obama’s vice president for eight years. “I am most excited about having a platform and raising up military families.  Certainly raising up the profile of teachers.  I've been a teacher for 36 years -- and pushing free community college.  So there are so many things -- and the cancer initiative that Joe and I started in the White House and then continued afterwards.  So I'm ready to go and I'm really hoping that we win on Nov.  3,” Biden said. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


US women's soccer team members have filed a federal class-action lawsuit against the US Soccer Federation, citing gender discrimination https://t.co/YCAN218tP6 https://t.co/tJc1fJPI4b

U. S.  Soccer "has utterly failed to promote gender equality," the suit claims. US Women's National Soccer Team sues sport's governing body for gender discrimination on International Women's DayAthletes on the world champion U. S.  Women's National Team sued the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) Friday for gender discrimination, blasting the sport's governing body for allegedly paying mere "lip service" to gender equality and dishing out markedly more pay to the decidedly less successful men's team. The scathing lawsuit, filed in California federal court on International Women's Day, comes after years of public battles from the USWNT for equal pay and conditions and three months before the team is scheduled to begin competition at the FIFA World Cup, where they will be returning as defending champions. "In reality, the USSF has utterly failed to promote gender equality," the lawsuit reads.  "It has stubbornly refused to treat its female employees who are members of the [women's national team] equally to its male employees who are members of the [men's national team]. "The USSF, the lawsuit claims, "has paid only lip service to gender equality and continues to practice gender-based discrimination against its champion female employees on the WNT in comparison to its less successful male employees on the MNT. ""Despite the fact that these female and male players are called upon to perform the same job responsibilities on their teams and participate in international competitions for their single common employer, theUSSF, the female players have been consistently paid less money than their male counterparts," the suit says. "This is true even though their performance has been superior to that of the male players – with the female players, in contrast to male players, becoming world champions. " (p.  1)The U. S.  men's soccer team did not qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.  Their best finish was third place -- in 1930.  The U. S.  women's team, on the other hand, has won the World Cup three times -- in 1991, 1999 and 2015 -- and the gold medal at the Olympics four times, most recently in 2012. The 28 members of the 2015 winning team are all named as plaintiffs, including stars Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe and Carli Lloyd, and the suit requests class action status to represent players who have been on the team since February of that year. The WNT earned more than three times less than the MNT while performing demonstrably better. The suit seeks back pay including interest and benefits, damages, attorneys' fees and other relief. The suit says that female players earned $15,000 for making the World Cup team in 2013.  On the other hand, men earned $55,000 for making the team in 2014 and $68,750 in 2018.  (p.  12)"The pay for advancement through the rounds of the World Cup was so skewed that, in 2014, the USSF provided the MNT with performance bonuses totaling $5,375,000 for losing in the Round of 16, while, in 2015, the USSF provided the WNT with only $1,725,000 for winning the entire tournament," the lawsuit reads.  "The WNT earned more than three times less than the MNT while performing demonstrably better. " (p.  12)The lawsuit cites not just pay, but also the denial of "at least equal playing, training, and travel conditions; equal promotion of their games; equal support and development for their games; and other terms and conditions of employment. "In 2015, athletes complained about playing conditions after Rapinoe tore her ACL during training on a grass field that was reportedly described as being in bad shape.  U. S.  Soccer then canceled a match in Honolulu as its turf was "not suitable. "[The USSFThat the women's team, but not the men's, was subjected to playing on turf fields was a regular issue between athletes and U. S.  Soccer. In 2017, the women's team reached an agreement with the USSF after filing a complaint with the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission over pay. The agreement included direct and bonus pay increases and per diems equal to the men's team, according to ESPNW, as well as improved travel and financial support for pregnant or adopting players.  It also included required improvements in National Women's Soccer League standards. In February, the EEOC issued the soccer players a "right to sue," the new lawsuit indicates, which is required to sue for discrimination under federal law. The USWNT is not the only women's team fighting for equal pay and conditions.  The women's national hockey team has been on its own mission, following the soccer team and spurred by its victory at the 2018 Winter Olympics. Similarly, the WNBA and tennis players have also been making calls for equal pay, prize money, conditions and infrastructure. U. S.  Soccer told ABC News it does not comment on ongoing legal matters. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says “you will never hear me mention” the name of the alleged Christchurch gunman. “Speak the names of those who were lost rather than the name of the man who took them.” https://t.co/874e3cD2Ge https://t.co/b0nXgxgwV0

By Hilary Whiteman, CNNUpdated 1157 GMT (1957 HKT) March 19, 2019 Christchurch, New Zealand (CNN)The man who opened fire on two New Zealand mosques last week may have succeeded in killing 50 people, but the country's leader has promised to deny him the one thing he truly wanted: Notoriety.  CNN's James Griffiths contributed reporting from Hong Kong.


BREAKING: President Trump is expected to commute the sentence of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, multiple senior level sources tell ABC News. https://t.co/teuJ4daG7n

By Kevin Liptak and Kaitlan Collins, CNNUpdated 11:04 AM ET, Wed February 19, 2020 Washington (CNN)President Donald Trump wielded his powers of clemency Tuesday for convicted white-collar criminals and the former Illinois governor accused of attempting to sell a US senate seat. This story has been updated to include additional reporting.


NEW: After Justice Department shifted its position and agreed with a lower court that Obamacare should be struck down, Pres. Trump tells @marykbruce, "The Republican Party will soon be known as the party of health care, you watch." https://t.co/wh1A0taKCA https://t.co/QnXY8074Xu

  The Trump administration on Monday said the entire Affordable Care Act should be struck down, in a dramatic reversal.

  In a filing with a federal appeals court, the Justice Department said it agreed with the ruling of a federal judge in Texas that invalidated the Obama-era health care law.

  In a letter Monday night, the administration said “it is not urging that any portion of the district court’s judgment be reversed. ”

  “The Department of Justice has determined that the district court’s comprehensive opinion came to the correct conclusion and will support it on appeal,” said Kerri Kupec, spokesperson for the Justice Department.

  It’s a major shift for the Justice Department from when Jeff Sessions was attorney general.  At the time, the administration argued that the community rating rule and the guaranteed issue requirement – protections for people with pre-existing conditions – could not be defended but the rest of the law could stand.

  After the Justice Department took that position, federal District Judge Reed O’Connor struck down the entire law and the case is currently before a federal appeals court.

  Trump and the administration repeatedly promised – particularly leading up to the midterm election – to protect people with less-than-perfect medical histories.

  But this shift in the Justice Department’s stance doubles down on stripping away all the protections that were a hallmark of the landmark heath reform law.

  The administration’s move didn’t only startle supporters of the law.  One former official who worked under Sessions told CNN Monday night that he, too, was surprised by the new position.

  Because the case is before one of the most conservative appellate courts in the country, it almost guarantees that the issue will return to the newly solidified conservative Supreme Court at some point.  President Barack Obama’s former solicitor general, Donald Verrilli – who once defended the law before the Supreme Court – is now defending the law on behalf of the Democratic-led House.

  Overturning the law would have far-reaching consequences – way beyond disrupting coverage for the millions of people who get their health insurance on the exchanges or through Medicaid expansion.

  Obamacare saves senior citizens money on their Medicare coverage and prescription drugs.  It lets many Americans obtain free birth control, mammograms and cholesterol tests.  And it allows children to stay on their parents’ health insurance plans until they turn 26.

  And, even the Trump administration is using the landmark health reform law to try to lower prescription drug prices.

  The Trump administration would not defend the law in court so a coalition of 21 Democratic states led by California stepped in.

  “This lawsuit is as dangerous as it is reckless.  It threatens the healthcare of tens of millions of Americans across the country – from California to Kentucky and all the way to Maine,” said California Attorney General Xavier Becerra in a statement.  “The Affordable Care Act is an integral part of our healthcare system.  … Because no American should fear losing healthcare, we will defend the ACA every step of the way. ”

The inside story of how John Roberts negotiated to save Obamacare

  After November’s midterm elections, the Democratic-led House of Representatives also joined in.  In briefs filed with the appellate court, House lawyers said that if O’Connor’s ruling were upheld “the consequences will be devastating. ”

  “Millions of Americans will be denied affordable health care,” the House lawyers wrote.  They added that “insurance costs will skyrocket” and “Medicare recipients will face steep increases in the price of drugs and other services. ”

  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the administration’s stance amounted to “all-out war on the health care of the American people. ”

  “On the very first day that the Democratic Majority held the gavel, the House of Representatives voted to intervene against Republicans’ monstrous health care lawsuit to defend people with pre-existing conditions and the health care of all Americans,” Pelosi said in a statement.  “While the Trump Administration broadens its monstrous ambitions from destroying protections for pre-existing conditions to tearing down every last benefit and protection the Affordable Care Act provides, Democrats are fiercely defending the law of the land and protecting all Americans’ health care. ”

  Sen.  Kamala Harris, a California Democrat, became the first 2020 candidate to weigh in on the filing with her criticism Monday night.  During Attorney General William Barr’s confirmation hearing in January, Harris asked him whether he was open to reconsidering the department’s position.  He replied: “Yes. ”

  “Trump and his administration are trying to take health care away from tens of millions of Americans — again,” Harris wrote in a tweet.  “We must fight back again with everything we’ve got.  And in 2020, we need to elect a president who will make health care a right. ”

This story has been updated.
© 2021 Cable News Network.  A Warner Media Company.  All Rights Reserved.   CNN Sans ™ & © 2016 Cable News Network.


Kremlin foe Navalny says Russian prison authority has asked a court to jail him

https://t.co/pRYBbTdbFN https://t.co/P2rk3Qyd5D

Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny said on Tuesday that Russia's prison authority has asked a court to jail him for having allegedly broken the terms of a suspended sentence he has been serving. Navalny, one of President Vladimir Putin's leading critics, was airlifted to Germany for treatment in August after collapsing on a plane in what Germany and other Western nations say was an attempt to murder him with a Novichok nerve agent. Last month, Russia's prison service ordered Navalny to fly back from Germany at once and report at a Moscow office or be jailed if he failed to return before a deadline.  )


Anti-Hindu slogans and banners against Lord Ram were raised at the ongoing farmers’ protest near Delhi.

Were anti-Hindu slogans and banners raised during the ongoing farmers’ agitation near Delhi?  An image of a banner with a slogan against Lord Ram has created a controversy on social media, triggering strong reactions from users. Many Twitter and Facebook users have posted an image of a black banner on which is written in Hindi, “Na Modi, na Yogi, na Jai Shri Ram, desh par raaj karega mazdoor-kisan! !  (Not Modi or Yogi or Jai Shri Ram but workers and farmers will rule this country)”. Social media users have said that slogans against PM Modi and CM Yogi are fine, but if it is a farmers’ movement, why were slogans opposing Lord Ram and Hindus used? India Today Anti Fake News War Room (AFWA) has found that the picture is two years old.  On November 30, 2018, various Left-affiliated farmers’ unions had organised a rally in New Delhi, and this banner was spotted at Jantar Mantar. The archived versions of the posts are saved here, here and here. Using reverse image search, we found that the picture was tweeted by several users in 2019 and 2018. We narrowed down our search to only 2018 by customising the time in Google image search and found the same banner in a similar photo tweeted by “BloombergQuint” on November 30, 2018.  The picture credit was given to news agency ANI. This tweet also has a web link for “The Quint” article. As per this news report, the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC), in collaboration with dozens of farmers’ outfits, had organised a two-day protest rally on November 29-30, 2018, to push for farmers’ demands, including debt relief and remunerative prices for produce. As per the “BloombergQuint” tweet, the banner with the slogan against Lord Ram was spotted near Jantar Mantar.  A closer look reveals it belonged to the Left-affiliated All India Kisan Mahasabha (AIKM). Zooming in to the picture, we found the same building at the background and the same green bamboo sticks holding the banner; even the side-folds of the banner match with the one in the viral picture. We found several news reports published around the same time in 2018 when the farmers’ unions attempted to march from Ramlila Maidan to Parliament.  The ANI video can be seen here. Hence, it can be concluded that the viral banner is two years old and has no connection to the ongoing farmers’ agitation near the Delhi border. The number of crows determines the intensity of the lie.


"How do we move forward from here? What is the case against this President and what should happen next to keep us safe?"

CNN's @ChrisCuomo tackles former special counsel Robert Mueller's testimony before Congress, and more, with former prosecutors Robert Ray and Preet Bharara. https://t.co/gswfUjfyAT

Robert Mueller has proved to be a frustrating witness for members of the House.  Mueller testifies on Capitol Hill about Russia, TrumpFor members of Congress, former special counsel Robert Mueller’s hours of testimony on Capitol Hill  Wednesday appeared designed to serve two objectives for the warring political factions in Washington. For Democrats, Mueller was to be the face of the evidence amassed during a 22-month investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and the alleged efforts by President Trump to impede that probe. To Republicans, he was to be a foil who could help them mount an assault on the investigation’s underpinnings and findings. It appeared neither side left the morning’s House Judiciary Committee hearing fully satisfied with the outcome.  Mueller offered very little to support either narrative, declining requests to read out loud from the 448-page report, impeding the flow of the session by asking dozens of times for panelists to repeat questions, or telling them simply, “I can’t get into that. ”For Democrats who thought Mueller may give a full-throated voice to the suggestion that President Trump worked to impede the investigation – the quiet attorney, whose answers were rarely longer than a few words.  may have proven disappointing. For Republicans who thought he may shed light on the origins of the Russia probe – a focus of their efforts to argue there were political motives lurking behind it – Mueller’s stone-faced refusals to engage may have proven equally frustrating. In part, prospects that his appearance would yield compelling television moments were dashed by Mueller’s halting delivery.  At least 38 times Mueller said he would prefer members simply "refer to the report," according to an ABC News count.  And at least 21 times, Mueller asked members to repeat their question. One of the few flashes of emotion from Mueller came when a Republican congressman began to assert that members of the special counsel’s team had political motives. “Can I speak for a second to the hiring practices? ” Mueller said, in one of the rare moments where his volume rose. “We strove to hire those individuals that could do the job,” he said.  “I've been in this business for almost 25 years, and in those 25 years, I have not had occasion once to ask somebody about their political affiliation.  It is not done.  What I care about is the capability of the individual to do the job and do the job quickly and seriously and with integrity. ”Democrats tried to score points with questions they knew would yield favorable answers.  Rep.  Zoe Lofgren, a California Democrat, asked Mueller if the investigation found the Russian government “perceived it would benefit from one of the candidates winning? ”That goal was a major finding of the report, and Mueller delivered the desired answer, although he affirmed it haltingly:“Which candidate would that be? ” she asked. “Well, it would be Trimp.  Um.  Trump.  The president,” he replied. Republicans sought to paint the entire hearing as a predicate for Democrats to mount impeachment hearings.  Rep.  Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, tried to hammer home that point: "Your report does not recommend impeachment, does it? "But again, Mueller did not engage. "I'm not going to talk about recommendations," Mueller responded.  "I'm not going to talk about that issue. "Mueller was equally muted when Republicans sought to engage him in discussion of the role of research by former British agent Christopher Steele, which had initially been prepared on behalf of a research firm hired by attorneys for the Democratic Party and the campaign of Trump’s opponent, Hillary Clinton.  Instead, he told members that others – such as the Department of Justice’s inspector general, were looking at them.  He did not. “So you're not going to respond to any of the questions regarding Christopher Steele or your interviews with him? ” asked Rep.  William Gregory Steube, a Florida Republican. “As I said at the outset this morning, that was one of the investigations that I could not speak to,” Mueller replied. ABC News' Ben Siegel, Trish Turner and Allie Pecorin contributed to this story. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


The carpet may be red, but pink was the color of the night at the #Oscars https://t.co/Ux9FoNTd0K https://t.co/ALsASvrX32

Wakanda forever! How fashion at the Oscars has evolved since the 1930sThe cast of the the breakout film "Black Panther" wowed on the 2019 Academy Awards red carpet Sunday night. The flick made history as the first superhero film to earn a best picture nod at the Oscars.  It also broke barriers for having a almost-entirely black cast and crew in Hollywood. In addition to best picture, "Black Panther" is up for five other Academy Awards. Michael B.  Jordan, Letitia Wright, Danai Gurira, Chadwick Boseman and more stars of the film were photographed on the red carpet ahead of the awards show. Gurira posted a video on Twitter of her rolling up to the Oscars with co-star Winston Duke who exclaimed "'Black Panther' crew is in the house! "24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events