Beltway Insider: Trump/Stone, Tweets Disrupt JD, Avenatti, Coronavirus, Weinstein, Election 2020

President Trump, fresh off his Impeachment acquittal, felt compelled to intervene with the proposed sentencing of longtime associate and political strategist Roger Stone who has been convicted of obstructing a congressional inquiry into the Russian election interference.

The President's job approval rating, according to the website fivethirtyeight.com, which tracked for the period ending February 2, 2020, increased by 0.3 percentage points to 43.3% of those polled who approve of his effectiveness as President and those who disapprove of his effectiveness decreased by 0.3 percentage points to 52.2%. A slight 3% of the population polled have no opinion. Ratings are calculated bi-monthly.

Trump Tweets Interfere with Justice Department

Attorney General William Barr, who has served the President for one year, has become the first official in the Trump cabinet to publicly take the president to task on his excessive social media addiction explaining, "the tweets make it impossible to do my job."


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"Barr's comments are a rare break with a president who the attorney general has aligned himself with and fiercely defended. But it also puts Barr in line with many of Trump's supporters on Capitol Hill who say they support the president but wish he'd cut back on his tweets. "I think it's time to stop the tweeting about Department of Justice criminal cases," Barr told ABC News Chief Justice Correspondent Pierre Thomas."

The interview continued to touch on the firestorm of sentencing for another of Trump cronies, Roger Stone, as they back tracked for their own recommendation of nine years, to a much lighter yet to be determined sentence after the president began a tweeting tirade indicting the sentence for his longtime strategist was unfair.

More than 1000 former justice department officials call for Barr's resignation.

As the President has brought his micro-manager style into the White House, few outside of his family are exempt from his personal input. When he is unhappy with a course of action he sends a tweet and starts a fire as his fearmongering style which he also used effectively in the 2016 campaign has those who are employed by the government understanding in order to maintain their employment they are forced to render all decisions as the president sees fit.

Michael Avenatti Found Guilty

Michael Avenatti, 49, the attorney who represented and embezzled $300,000 from adult entertainment actress Stormy Daniels after her hellish encounters with former presidential attorney Michael Cohen, has been found guilty of attempting to extort millions from, the sportwear company, Nike.

"Today a unanimous jury found Michael Avenatti guilty of misusing his client's information in an effort to extort tens of millions of dollars from the athletic apparel company Nike," Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman said in a statement. "While the defendant may have tried to hide behind legal terms and a suit and tie, the jury clearly saw the defendant's scheme for what it was – an old-fashioned shakedown," Foxnews.com reported.


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"Sadly, it appears what Michael Avenatti did to me was just the tip of an iceberg of deceit," wrote Stormy Daniels, a former client of Avenatti who claims he stole $300,000 from her and forged her signature, on Instagram. "I am not surprised his dishonesty has been revealed on a grand scale," she said, after Avenatti was found guilty on all counts for trying to extort up to $25 million from sports-apparel giant Nike," The New York Post reported.

Avenatti could face up to 47 years in prison when he is sentenced on June 17, 2020.

Coronavirus Threatens Tourism Industry

The deadly coronavirus, whose origins can be traced to China, has become a global disruption in the Tourism Industry and affecting every industry associated with travel to the extent that Chinese government officials has accused the world of mass hysteria and overreacting.

"China said the U.S. "inappropriately overreacted" to the deadly virus that originated there and hasn't provided much help to counter the outbreak, disputing the Trump administration's claim that it offered assistance. "The U.S. government hasn't provided any substantial assistance to us, but it was the first to evacuate personnel from its consulate in Wuhan, the first to suggest partial withdrawal of its embassy staff, and the first to impose a travel ban on Chinese travelers," Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters on Monday," Bloomberg.com reported.

The virus has spread to 24 nations resulting in 69,280 global cases reported and 1,670 deaths with nearly fifty nations placing restrictions on all forms of travel including ground transportation services such as trains, subways, ride sharing, and buses, air transportation originating from China has essentially been grounded with more than half of all international carrier suspending inbound service.

Bejing Capital International Airport, in 2019, was named the second most active airport in the world with an estimated 100,983,290 passengers traveling annually. Annually more than 614, 022 flights arrived and departed. The airport had reached capacity and a second international airport, opened September 25, 2019 just months before the coronavirus would cripple China's airline industry.

Since the outbreak of the coronavirus less than 335 flights have departed Bejing. Air transportation from Wuhan, ground zero for the outbreak has been between January 24, 2020 and February 4, 2020 a total of ten flights have departed the region.

The economic impact of the coronavirus will reverberate across China with grave consequences considering simply the impact on Bejing Capital International Airport. On December 19, 2020 more than 900 flights departed, seven weeks later, on February 4, the number of departing flights had dropped to 335.

Global Tourism Feels Effects of COVID-19

In China alone, whose economy was already slowing, airports have become ghost towns, cruise ships detained at ports around the world, hotels have announced mandatory closures, mandatory quaratines, casino's empty, support staff across all industries temporarily out of work.

The Global Travel industry News website eturbonews reports, "Hilton has closed about 150 of its hotels in China totaling 33,000 rooms. The reason is the coronavirus. This may impact the hotel industry tremendously and most likely closing Hilton China is just the beginning. In the U.S. specifically, it could cost the country billions of dollars and millions of hotel room stays, according to a report in USA Today. All casino hotels in Macao also remain closed. Currently, Marriott and Hyatt hotels among others are still open in China and had been allowing confirmed reservations to cancel without a cancellation fee, " reported.

Global Responses as COVID-19 Attempts to Derail Tourism

In order to stop or slow a global pandemic 50 nations have put in place restriction for any flight entering the country from China. Passengers on a recent Princess Cruise liner docked in Japan were not permitted to disembark after a single case of the COVID-19 had been detected.


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Americans were finally given the opportunity to depart after 14 days of mandatory quarantine, which they will be screened for fever at the departure point, and again before they embark for the United States. Upon entry an additional mandatory 14 days quarantine is required.

Coronavirus also is known as Covid-19 has become the biggest enemy in the global travel and tourism industry, but the virus is in no means global, according to eturbonews, "there are a lot more than 19 countries in the world. There are actually 177 countries on all continents that do not have a single case of Coronavirus. Only 19 countries have currently one or more cases of the deadly virus. Entire regions including the Caribbean and South America are free of Coronavirus. In Africa, there is one isolated case in Egypt on entire continent. Tourism businesses in more than 170 countries are suffering. Tourism businesses are suffering and some are closing putting hard-working staff in the open."

COVID-19 Symptoms

According to the World Health Organization, the coronavirus begins with a slightly elevated temperature, and follows with cough and shortness of breath, all of which sound harmless. Unfortunately, even as this virus begins innocuously it is deadly and all care and caution must be taken to inhibit contracting the virus. Which, as no vaccine is available, "everyday preventive measure," according to the CDC, such as one would utilize during a high cold or flu season. Extended hand washing, up to 20 seconds under warm water, before meals and after coming into contact with high germ areas with the home such as the bathroom.

"Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing. If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty," reported the CDC.

CDC's Recommendations for using a Facemask

CDC does not recommend that people who are well wear a facemask to protect themselves from respiratory diseases, including COVID-19. Facemasks should be used by people who show symptoms of COVID-19 to help prevent the spread of the disease to  others. The use of facemasks is also crucial for health workers and people who are taking care of someone in close settings (at home or in a health care facility).

Vaccine Possible by November 2020

"Navarro said five large American companies are hard at work, trying to get 150 million doses of a vaccine ready "hopefully as early as next November," but stressed, "it's going to require great effort on research and development. One drug, produced by pharmaceutical giant Gilead, called remdesivir, Navarro said "looks promising, and the thing that we need absolutely to do is get that into rapid clinical trials, " Foxbusiness news reported.

Harvey Weinstein Case Goes to Jury

The case against disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein has ended with both sides resting on Friday. The jury will begin deliberations on Tuesday.

Even with the brave and courageous testimony of six former victims, all which attest to the pattern of predatory sexual assault, the testimony of a final victim, even as every psychologist and victim's advocate will explain reaction and post assault behaviors vary and no reaction is wrong as some skip over the trauma, others are incapacitated, others have uncontrollable laughter or tears, there is no generic response that can be considered the proper and psychologically acceptable response, her post assault mind was incapable of handling the trauma for what it was and adopted a pattern of actions that present an entirely different message.

Unfortunately, this message could ultimately be the singular message the jury hears. Ambition is not permission for assault, for violence, rape and that is the only message the jury should hear.

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on "A Woman's Choice"

"The decision whether or not to bear a child is central to a woman's life, to her well being and dignity. It is a decision she must make for herself. When Government controls that decision for her, she is being treated as less than a fully adult human responsible for her own choices."

For democrats to control the Senate a total of four seats need to be flipped.

Election 2020: New Hampshire Shuffle; Warren, Biden Struggle

With the first primary of the 2020 Election season over, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, who entered into the New Hampshire Primary after a photo finish ending in Iowa that left him in second place, by two votes, behind former South Bend, Indiana mayor Pete Buttigieg, in a must win.


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It wasn't pretty but win he did. The margin in New Hampshire was stronger than the minor loss in Iowa, with Sanders winning by 25.7% of the votes. Buttigieg also finished strong in second place with 24.4% of the vote. The delegate vote was split evenly with nine.

Graphic from the New York Times

The real story coming out of New Hampshire is the surprise third place showing by Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar with nearly broke 20% of the vote, with 19.8% and earned six delegates.

Former Vice President Joe Biden and Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren are both facing an uphill battle with the South Carolina primary on February 29, 2020, and the Nevada Caucuses on February 22, 2020.

All candidates regardless of position after these first four early decision states must perform well on Super Tuesday, on Tuesday, March 3, 2020 when the ballot will include former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg.

It is unlikely that Elizabeth Warren will consider leaving the race even after Super Tuesday. Former Vice President Biden may be closer to ending his run for the presidency. If he is unable to regain footing going into Super Tuesday, it could be an easier decision.

The Republicans will not be holding a 2020 Primary in South Carolina as a judge upheld the decision in December 11, 2019.

Former Democratic Presidential Challenger has been rumored to be the Vice-Presidential choice for Bloomberg although the billionaire businessman has denied this even as his camp as continued to push the story.

Another member of the South Carolina House of Representatives has endorsed Tom Steyer. Patricia Moore "Pat" Henegan (D-54) was elected to the House of Representatives in 2014.

New York City Mayor and former democratic Presidential candidate Bill DeBlasio has endorsed Senator Bernie Sanders for President and will campaign for the socialist senator in Nevada.

 

For more information on President Donald Trump www.whitehouse.gov.

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