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| Trump denies trying to restart family separations while blaming Obama for policy – live | Trump denies trying to restart family separations while blaming Obama for policy – live |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| John Kerry gives a huge shout out to AOC on climate change | |
| To wit, in a busy day of hearings, former Secretary of State and Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry earlier gave testimony on Capitol Hill and praised representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the much buzzed-about social media wizard, scourge of the right and freshman Democrat of New York. | |
| “Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez has...offered more leadership in one day or in one week than #PresidentTrump has in his lifetime on this,” Kerry said on climate change. | |
| Some video below. | |
| ICYMI: @JohnKerry praises Rep @AOC efforts to combat #climatechange as opposed to #PresidentTrump who refuses to lead on this issue. “Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez has in fact offered more leadership in one day or in one week than #PresidentTrump has in his lifetime on this. " pic.twitter.com/iQEtLpHZWA | |
| It’s been a busy day for congressional hearings. | |
| Mnuchin mentioned Brexit earlier today at a hearing of the US House Committee on Financial Services. | |
| The United States is monitoring the developments around United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union and has been working with regulators to prepare for any market or trade disruptions, he said. | |
| Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin says US is preparing for a ‘hard Brexit’ | |
| Mnuchin has told politicians on Capitol Hill today that America is making preparations for Britain to crash out of the European Union without a deal, AKA a hard Brexit, calling it “a very realistic outcome”. | |
| Mnuchin tells House lawmakers: “At this point we need to prepared for a hard Brexit as a very realistic outcome,” says U.S. financial institutions are prepared but there could be significant market disruptions. | |
| Hearing on Capitol Hill on hate crime and white nationalism becomes a bit too real. | Hearing on Capitol Hill on hate crime and white nationalism becomes a bit too real. |
| A congressional hearing on online hate turned into a vivid demonstration of the problem earlier today when a YouTube live stream of the proceedings was bombarded with racist and antisemitic comments from internet users, the AP writes. | |
| YouTube disabled the live chat section of the streaming video about 30 minutes into the hearing because of what it called “hateful comments.” | |
| The incident came as executives from Google and Facebook appeared before the House judiciary committee to answer questions about the companies’ role in the spread of hate crimes and the rise of white nationalism in the US. | |
| They were joined by leaders of such human rights organizations as the Anti-Defamation League and the Equal Justice Society, along with conservative commentator Candace Owens. | They were joined by leaders of such human rights organizations as the Anti-Defamation League and the Equal Justice Society, along with conservative commentator Candace Owens. |
| Neil Potts, Facebook director of public policy, and Alexandria Walden, counsel for free expression and human rights at Google, defended policies at the two companies that prohibit material that incites violence or hate. Google owns YouTube. | Neil Potts, Facebook director of public policy, and Alexandria Walden, counsel for free expression and human rights at Google, defended policies at the two companies that prohibit material that incites violence or hate. Google owns YouTube. |
| “There is no place for terrorism or hate on Facebook,” Potts testified. “We remove any content that incites violence.” | “There is no place for terrorism or hate on Facebook,” Potts testified. “We remove any content that incites violence.” |
| The hearing broke down into partisan disagreement among the lawmakers and among some of the witnesses, with Republican members of Congress denouncing as hate speech Democrat Ilhan Omar’s criticism of American supporters of Israel. | The hearing broke down into partisan disagreement among the lawmakers and among some of the witnesses, with Republican members of Congress denouncing as hate speech Democrat Ilhan Omar’s criticism of American supporters of Israel. |
| As the bickering went on, committee chairman Representative Jerrold Nadler of New York was handed a news report that included the hateful comments about the hearing on YouTube. | |
| He read them aloud, along with the users’ screen names, as the room quieted. “This just illustrates part of the problem we’re dealing with,” Nadler said. | He read them aloud, along with the users’ screen names, as the room quieted. “This just illustrates part of the problem we’re dealing with,” Nadler said. |
| The hearing was prompted by the mosque shootings last month in Christchurch, New Zealand, that left 50 people dead. | The hearing was prompted by the mosque shootings last month in Christchurch, New Zealand, that left 50 people dead. |
| The gunman live-streamed the attacks on Facebook and published a long post online that espoused white supremacist views. | |
| But controversy over white nationalism and hate speech has dogged online platforms such as Facebook and Google’s YouTube for years. | |
| Crisis at Department of Homeland Security | Crisis at Department of Homeland Security |
| More top Republicans are expressing concern over vacancies at the DHS and cautioning Donald Trump to hold off on further shake-ups after the forced resignation of DHS secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and talk of a purge in the upper ranks of various agencies under the department’s umbrella. | |
| Senator Susan Collins of Maine said on Tuesday that, having participated in creating the department more than a decade ago, she knows “these are vital positions,” the Associated Press writes. | |
| Iowa Republican Senator Chuck Grassley made both a public and private plea to the White House not to dismiss career homeland security officials. He said he spoke to chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, but would only know if Trump heard the message “if they don’t get fired.” | |
| As Trump considers replacements at DHS, Republican John Cornyn of Texas, said he hoped the administration would work in “collaboration, consultation” with the Senate before sending nominees for confirmation. | |
| Here’s another family separations fact check: | Here’s another family separations fact check: |
| Pres Trump just said several times in Oval Office that Obama had a child separation policy at the border."I was the one who changed it," he said to a Q from @jonkarlBut that's FALSE. It's been fact checked many times - inc this from @JustinFishelABChttps://t.co/uvLAHl4Jcb | Pres Trump just said several times in Oval Office that Obama had a child separation policy at the border."I was the one who changed it," he said to a Q from @jonkarlBut that's FALSE. It's been fact checked many times - inc this from @JustinFishelABChttps://t.co/uvLAHl4Jcb |
| Will Melania intervene if Trump returns to a policy of separating families at the border, as it appeared she did last year? And, in fact - has she already just intervened, this very day, as Trump denies trying to reboot the policy? | Will Melania intervene if Trump returns to a policy of separating families at the border, as it appeared she did last year? And, in fact - has she already just intervened, this very day, as Trump denies trying to reboot the policy? |
| Rewind: | Rewind: |
| Donald Trump signed an executive order on June 20, 2018, ending family separations, after widespread uproar in the US and internationally. | Donald Trump signed an executive order on June 20, 2018, ending family separations, after widespread uproar in the US and internationally. |
| Just a couple of days earlier, Melania Trump’s spokeswoman has said the first lady “hates to see children separated from their families”, in what at first appeared to be a rare public statement at odds with her husband’s policy. | Just a couple of days earlier, Melania Trump’s spokeswoman has said the first lady “hates to see children separated from their families”, in what at first appeared to be a rare public statement at odds with her husband’s policy. |
| Stephanie Grisham said the first lady believed “we need to be a country that follows all laws”, but also one “that governs with heart”. She added: “Mrs Trump … hopes both sides of the aisle can finally come together to achieve successful immigration reform.” | Stephanie Grisham said the first lady believed “we need to be a country that follows all laws”, but also one “that governs with heart”. She added: “Mrs Trump … hopes both sides of the aisle can finally come together to achieve successful immigration reform.” |
| Family separations in pictures. | Family separations in pictures. |
| In case anyone has forgotten the chaos, the misery and outrage, we published a short series early last summer that we called The Guardian at the border, with reporters at the crisis points in Texas as families were being separated. | In case anyone has forgotten the chaos, the misery and outrage, we published a short series early last summer that we called The Guardian at the border, with reporters at the crisis points in Texas as families were being separated. |
| The parents were being cattle-driven through courts that were unable to process them fairly and their children, including babies, were being whisked away to detention in as varied settings as indoor cages, desert tent camps that grew and grew as separated children were mixed in with minors who had crossed the border unaccompanied, and foster homes of differing quality all across the country. | The parents were being cattle-driven through courts that were unable to process them fairly and their children, including babies, were being whisked away to detention in as varied settings as indoor cages, desert tent camps that grew and grew as separated children were mixed in with minors who had crossed the border unaccompanied, and foster homes of differing quality all across the country. |
| Poor records were kept that hampered reunions, with the risk of children being permanently separated from their parents and many more dealing with deep trauma. | Poor records were kept that hampered reunions, with the risk of children being permanently separated from their parents and many more dealing with deep trauma. |
| This was the result of the implementation of a particular interpretation of policy and law by the Trump administration. | This was the result of the implementation of a particular interpretation of policy and law by the Trump administration. |
| My colleague Oliver Laughland wrote from McAllen and Brownsville at the very eastern end of the US-Mexico border about families “going through hell”. | My colleague Oliver Laughland wrote from McAllen and Brownsville at the very eastern end of the US-Mexico border about families “going through hell”. |
| The United Nations denounced the policy as possibly amounting to torture. | The United Nations denounced the policy as possibly amounting to torture. |
| A few moments ago, the NPR politics team tweeted: “FACT CHECK: Today, President Trump claimed the Obama administration started the policy of separating families at the southern U.S. border. That’s not true.” | A few moments ago, the NPR politics team tweeted: “FACT CHECK: Today, President Trump claimed the Obama administration started the policy of separating families at the southern U.S. border. That’s not true.” |
| FACT CHECK: Today, President Trump claimed the Obama administration started the policy of separating families at the southern U.S. border.That's not true. https://t.co/svI2SXtrOc | FACT CHECK: Today, President Trump claimed the Obama administration started the policy of separating families at the southern U.S. border.That's not true. https://t.co/svI2SXtrOc |
| For some desperately-needed context, here is just one of our analysis pieces from early last summer, at the height of the family separations scandal last time around, under the Trump administration. | For some desperately-needed context, here is just one of our analysis pieces from early last summer, at the height of the family separations scandal last time around, under the Trump administration. |
| The Guardian’s Amanda Holpuch and Lauren Gambino wrote some sharp analysis that explained the chaos last June. | The Guardian’s Amanda Holpuch and Lauren Gambino wrote some sharp analysis that explained the chaos last June. |
| Here’s the crucial excerpt: | Here’s the crucial excerpt: |
| Why are children being separated from their families? | Why are children being separated from their families? |
| In April (2018), the (then) US attorney general, Jeff Sessions, announced a “zero-tolerance” policy, stating “our goal is to prosecute every case that is brought to us”. Under the Trump administration’s new enforcement policy, every migrant who crosses the border illegally – even those seeking asylum in the US – is subject to criminal prosecution. | In April (2018), the (then) US attorney general, Jeff Sessions, announced a “zero-tolerance” policy, stating “our goal is to prosecute every case that is brought to us”. Under the Trump administration’s new enforcement policy, every migrant who crosses the border illegally – even those seeking asylum in the US – is subject to criminal prosecution. |
| Since children are not allowed to be held in a federal jail, they are taken from their parents and placed in the care of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). | Since children are not allowed to be held in a federal jail, they are taken from their parents and placed in the care of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). |
| Almost 2,000 children have been separated from their families at the US southern border over a six-week period during a crackdown on illegal entries, according to the Department of Homeland Security. | Almost 2,000 children have been separated from their families at the US southern border over a six-week period during a crackdown on illegal entries, according to the Department of Homeland Security. |
| What happened to families before? | What happened to families before? |
| When an influx of families and unaccompanied children from Central America arrived at the border in 2014, Barack Obama’s administration detained families. | When an influx of families and unaccompanied children from Central America arrived at the border in 2014, Barack Obama’s administration detained families. |
| This was harshly criticized and a federal court in 2015 stopped the government from holding families for months without explanation. Instead, they were released while they waited for their immigration cases to be heard in court. Not everyone shows up for those court dates, leading the Trump administration to condemn what it calls a “catch and release” program. | This was harshly criticized and a federal court in 2015 stopped the government from holding families for months without explanation. Instead, they were released while they waited for their immigration cases to be heard in court. Not everyone shows up for those court dates, leading the Trump administration to condemn what it calls a “catch and release” program. |
| Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump said he would not restart child separation at the border and blamed Obama for the policy | Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump said he would not restart child separation at the border and blamed Obama for the policy |
| “Just so you understand, President Obama separated the children. Those cages that were shown – I think they were very inappropriate – were by President Obama’s administration not by Trump. President Obama had child separation,” said the president said. | “Just so you understand, President Obama separated the children. Those cages that were shown – I think they were very inappropriate – were by President Obama’s administration not by Trump. President Obama had child separation,” said the president said. |
| “Take a look. The press knows it. You know it. We all know it. I’m the one who stopped it. President Obama had child separation.” | “Take a look. The press knows it. You know it. We all know it. I’m the one who stopped it. President Obama had child separation.” |
| Trump also said the policy was effective. “I’ll tell you something, once you don’t have it that’s why you have many more people coming. They are coming like it’s a picnic, like ‘let’s go to Disney Land.’ President Obama separated children. I was the one who that changed it.” | Trump also said the policy was effective. “I’ll tell you something, once you don’t have it that’s why you have many more people coming. They are coming like it’s a picnic, like ‘let’s go to Disney Land.’ President Obama separated children. I was the one who that changed it.” |
| Meghan McCain, the daughter of the late John McCain, is not happy with Trump’s tweet paying tribute to American prisoners of war. Trump famously said McCain “was not a war hero” because he had been captured during the Vietnam War. | Meghan McCain, the daughter of the late John McCain, is not happy with Trump’s tweet paying tribute to American prisoners of war. Trump famously said McCain “was not a war hero” because he had been captured during the Vietnam War. |
| No one believes you care about prisoners of war and “people who get captured”. https://t.co/ZkKEjI01XD | No one believes you care about prisoners of war and “people who get captured”. https://t.co/ZkKEjI01XD |
| The New York Times has done an interesting study that shows those Democrats active on Twitter bear little resemblence to Democrats who actually vote. | The New York Times has done an interesting study that shows those Democrats active on Twitter bear little resemblence to Democrats who actually vote. |
| The Times reports: | The Times reports: |
| The outspoken group of Democratic-leaning voters on social media is outnumbered, roughly 2 to 1, by the more moderate, more diverse and less educated group of Democrats who typically don’t post political content online, according to data from the Hidden Tribes Project. This latter group has the numbers to decide the Democratic presidential nomination in favor of a relatively moderate establishment favorite, as it has often done in the past. | The outspoken group of Democratic-leaning voters on social media is outnumbered, roughly 2 to 1, by the more moderate, more diverse and less educated group of Democrats who typically don’t post political content online, according to data from the Hidden Tribes Project. This latter group has the numbers to decide the Democratic presidential nomination in favor of a relatively moderate establishment favorite, as it has often done in the past. |
| Even these results might understate the leftward lean of the most politically active, Democratic Twitter users, who often engage with political journalists and can have a powerful effect in shaping the conventional wisdom. In an informal poll of Democrats on one of our Twitter accounts on Monday, about 80 percent said they were liberal, and a similar percentage said they had a college degree. Only 20 percent said political correctness was a problem, and only 2 percent said they were black. | Even these results might understate the leftward lean of the most politically active, Democratic Twitter users, who often engage with political journalists and can have a powerful effect in shaping the conventional wisdom. In an informal poll of Democrats on one of our Twitter accounts on Monday, about 80 percent said they were liberal, and a similar percentage said they had a college degree. Only 20 percent said political correctness was a problem, and only 2 percent said they were black. |