Sunday, December 17, 2017

Omarosa's exit highlights 'ridiculous' lack of diversity at Trump White House - Guardian

Omarosa's exit highlights 'ridiculous' lack of diversity at Trump White House
With an administration dominated by white men, ‘black diversity in the White House is almost oxymoronic at this point,’ says former RNC chair
Without Manigault-Newman, Trump appears to have no black senior advisers in public-facing White House roles.
Sabrina Siddiqui in Washington
Sunday 17 December 2017 22.00 AEDT
The departure of the former Apprentice contestant Omarosa Manigault-Newman from the White House this week has placed the lack of diversity in Donald Trump’s administration under renewed scrutiny.
Manigault-Newman, the highest-ranking black person to work in the West Wing under Trump, abruptly left her post as a special assistant to the president on Wednesday. She subsequently criticized minority representation in the White House in a televised interview, claiming that many of Trump’s senior advisers “had never worked with minorities, [and] didn’t know how to interact with them”.
“As the only African American woman in this White House, as a senior staff and assistant to the president, I have seen things that have made me uncomfortable, that have upset me, that have affected me deeply and emotionally, that has affected my community and my people,” Manigault-Newman told ABC’s Good Morning America on Thursday.
Former Apprentice star on leaving Trump's White House: 'I've seen things that made me uncomfortable'
Read more
Manigault-Newman, who rose to prominence in the 2000s while appearing on The Apprentice, the reality television show produced and hosted by Trump, has long held a reputation among critics as a brash personality, hungry for attention – not unlike her former boss.
But her comments about an absence of people of color in the White House tapped into an issue that has clouded Trump’s administration, which produced a cabinet more male and white than any of Trump’s four predecessors.
“There is no comparison. Black diversity in the White House is almost oxymoronic at this point,” said Michael Steele, the former chairman of the Republican National Committee and the first African American to hold the post.
“It’s not for a lack of names or people who qualify … This continued pretense that it’s so hard to find [people of color] to do the job is just ridiculous at this point.”
Without Manigault-Newman, Trump appears to have no black senior advisers in public-facing White House roles. Ben Carson, the secretary of housing and urban development, is the only black member of Trump’s cabinet. Jerome M Adams, the US surgeon general, is one of the only other black individuals to hold a high-ranking position in Trump’s administration.
More broadly, the minority members of Trump’s cabinet are few and far between: Elaine Chao, the secretary of transportation, is the only Asian American; Alexander Acosta, the labor secretary, is the only Hispanic; and Nikki Haley, the UN ambassador, is the only Indian American.
There are two other Indian Americans in prominent administration roles: Ajit Pai, the Federal Communications Commission chairman, and Seema Verma, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
By contrast, 64% of Barack Obama’s first cabinet and cabinet-level officials were women or nonwhite men, according to a New York Times analysis. That figure in George W Bush’s first cabinet was 45%.
In Trump’s cabinet, there are only five women. Furthermore, 80% of nominations for top jobs in the Trump administration have been awarded to men – paving the way for the most male-dominated federal government in nearly a quarter-century.
A similar trend has characterized Trump’s judicial nominees. An analysis by the Associated Press last month revealed that 91% of Trump’s nominees to US federal courts are white, and 81% are male. Three of every four nominees are white men, the review found, with few African Americans and Hispanics under consideration.
Sarah Sanders, the White House press secretary, defended Trump on Thursday for having “a really diverse team across the board at the White House”. She could not, however, identify how many senior staffers at the White House were black.
An administration official, who was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter, told the Guardian there were 24 commissioned officers who were minorities, three of whom were African Americans.
Malik Russell, a spokesman for the NAACP, America’s oldest and largest civil rights organization, expressed concern with “the overall way in which this administration has addressed and engaged people of color”.
“Opportunities for individuals of color have and continue to be a rare occurrence and scarce commodity in this administration, which often seems more comfortable in appointing or nominating individuals with clear ties to racist and white supremacist organizations than someone from Latino, Asian or African American communities,” Russell said.
Steele said he was part of a small group of Republicans that provided a list of recommendations “of highly qualified and capable” African American men and women during Trump’s transition period, who were either already serving in the US government or had already served in various capacities.
Many of Trump's comments 'racially charged', says ex-White House staffer Omarosa
The group had also made the recommendations under previous Republican administrations, Steele said, but he expressed his view that the list had been “summarily ignored or rejected” under Trump.
Even with Manigault-Newman by his side for the first year of his presidency, Trump has ignited numerous firestorms for his comments on race.
There was his feud with the NFL over predominantly black athletes kneeling during the national anthem – players whom Trump referred to as “sons of bitches”. And there was the president’s assertion in August that “both sides” were to blame for the deadly violence in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Such moments called into question Manigault-Newman’s influence after she positioned herself as a liaison between the president and the African American community. Manigault-Newman was no stranger to controversy herself, once irking the Congressional Black Caucus by sending invitations to meet with Trump at the White House that she signed as “the Honorable Omarosa Manigault”.
Steele said Trump’s long-held views on race were an “unspoken truth”, and it was unlikely that an increase in African American staff would change the outlook of a 71-year-old man. He also said a move to hire more black men and women at this stage of Trump’s presidency would lack authenticity.
“You just don’t have a revelation all of a sudden that, ‘Oh damn, we forgot black people.’ That’s not how this works.”

The Trump-Russia saga in 200 words - BBC News

The Trump-Russia saga in 200 words
3 December 2017
It's the story that has dominated Donald Trump's presidency, but it's complicated.
In summary
US intelligence agencies believe Russia tried to sway the election in favour of Mr Trump and a special counsel is looking into whether anyone from his campaign colluded in the effort.
Any evidence?
Senior members of Mr Trump's team met Russian officials. Several of these meetings were not initially disclosed.
What meetings?
Ex-national security adviser Michael Flynn lied to the FBI about meeting the Russian ambassador to the US before Mr Trump took office. Mr Flynn has entered a plea deal, prompting speculation that he has incriminating evidence.
The president's son, Donald Jr, met a Russian lawyer during the campaign who had "dirt" on Hillary Clinton, and adviser George Papadopoulos has admitted lying to the FBI about meetings with alleged go-betweens for Russia.
Who else is involved?
The president's son-in-law Jared Kushner is also under scrutiny, and former campaign chairman Paul Manafort has been charged by investigators with money laundering, unrelated to the election.
And the president?
Since he fired the man leading one of the investigations, ex-FBI Director James Comey, there are questions whether the president has obstructed justice. Legal experts differ on this.
Want to know more?
Who's who in the drama to end all dramas?
Russia: The cloud above the White House
Is Trump closer to obstruction of justice?

9 of Donald Trump's weirdest habits - Independent  

9 of Donald Trump's weirdest habits
Posted on 16/12/2017 by Greg Evans in news
UPVOTE           
Donald Trump is a man who has many skills and eccentricities, but some his day-to-day habits are truly remarkable.
We all have our own idiosyncratic things that we do around the house, but some of the things Trump gets up to are a little weirder than the way you choose to eat a Jaffa Cake for instance.
The controversial 71-year-old is nearing one year as President and publications and journalists have picked up on a number of odd things he gets up to.
Here is a list of a few of them and no, we haven't included any of the strange things he has posted on Twitter.
Don't touch the TV remotes
According to the New York Times, Trump is very precious about who touches the television remotes in the White House.
Only himself and his technical support staff can use the devices but screens are reportedly permanently fixed his favourite channels, like Fox News.
Even during meetings the televisions are said to be kept on but placed on mute so that Trump can keep an eye on the headlines.
Anything that he misses, he later catches up on using what he likes to call "Super Tivo."
Lots of Diet Coke
One of the more recent revelations about Trump's activities is his diet, which really isn't anything to admire.
The New York Times claims that The President can consume as many as 12 cans of Diet Coke a day.
He apparently has a special button on his desk to summon the beverage and some people worry it's playing havoc with his health.
Rearranging objects
Earlier this year a video of Trump rearranging his own objects and those of others in meetings went viral on Twitter.
Be it costers, pieces of paper or drinks everything must be in its place it seems.
Some speculated it was a form of OCD, but other observant people thought it might have something to do with his many years on television.
He's obsessed with hygiene
Mr Trump has said that he is a "germophobe" and a stickler for hygiene. In one of his own books The Art of the Comeback he says that he tries to wash his hands as much as possible to avoid catching any illness.
He is so paranoid of catching anything nasty that he tries to avoid shaking hands, won't press the ground floor button in a lift and will eat pizza with a knife and fork, according to a report by news.com.au.
But...
Not being in the headlines
As you have probably noticed by now, Mr Trump is very comfortable being the centre of attention.
When he is not in the headlines, however, that is apparently a great cause for concern. The New York Times reported:
One former top adviser said Mr. Trump grew uncomfortable after two or three days of peace and could not handle watching the news without seeing himself on it.
He enjoys food that isn't particularly healthy
We're all guilty of this one.
Mr Trump doesn't indulge in alcohol, cigarettes or coffee but he does enjoy fast food, washed down with Diet Coke.
This includes McDonald's, KFC, potato chips, Oreos and pretzels.
According to the NYT, White House dinners often include well-done steaks, salads smothered in Roquefort dressing and bacon pieces, gravy and a dessert with an extra scoop of ice cream.
His hair
Trump probably has the most famous haircut on the planet right now and he enjoys keeping it neat and intact.
During a rally in 2016, he complained about the declining standards in hairspray.
And during a Vanity Fair photo shoot, it is reported that he once asked to be cut out of a cashmere sweater to avoid messing up his barnet.
Showing guests the White House bathrooms
Mr Trump reportedly likes to make a habit of showing his guests around his new home and always makes a point of showing them the bathroom.
The Lincoln Bedroom and the Truman Balcony are said to be regular stops with the Times adding:
[Trump has] an odd affinity for showing off bathrooms, including one he renovated near the Oval Office.
Just a few hours sleep a night
Being the President is a very time-consuming job, which means Mr Trump doesn't have much time to sleep.


It is said that he gets by on just five or six hours sleep a night after working a 16-hour day.

Sydney man charged with brokering North Korea missile sales - Associated Press

17/12/2017
Sydney man charged with brokering North Korea missile sales
by ASSOCIATED PRESS
SYDNEY — A Sydney man has been charged with acting as an agent for North Korea in Australia by allegedly attempting to broker sales for Pyongyang including components used in ballistic missiles.
The Australian Federal Police say the 59-year-old naturalized Australian used encrypted communication to broker sales and discuss the supply of weapons of mass destruction.
Police say the man was generating tens of millions of dollars for Pyongyang by arranging the sale of missiles, componentry and expertise from North Korea to other international entities, and was trying to arrange the transfer of coal from the country to Indonesia and Vietnam.
He's the first person charged under Australia's Weapons of Mass Destruction Act and faces a maximum 10-year prison sentence.

Report: Pentagon program investigated reports of UFOs - CBS News

December 16, 2017, 3:25 PM
Report: Pentagon program investigated reports of UFOs
The Department of Defense's Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program had investigated reports of unidentified flying objects for years, The New York Times reports, citing Defense Department officials and interviews with participants in the program, as well as records the newspaper obtained.
The program reportedly began in 2007, operated at the cost of $22 million, and was backed by former U.S. Senator Harry Reid of Nevada. Most of the funding went Robert Bigelow's aerospace research company.
"60 Minutes": Bigelow Aerospace founder says commercial world will lead in space
In May, Bigelow told "60 Minutes" that he's "absolutely convinced" that aliens exist and he doesn't care if it makes him sound crazy.
"There has been and is an existing presence, an ET presence. And I spent millions and millions and millions -- I probably spent more as an individual than anybody else in the United States has ever spent on this subject."
In response to questions from The New York Times, officials at the Pentagon officials acknowledged the program's existence.
The program reportedly produced documents that described sightings unidentified aircrafts and was run by Luis Elizondo, a military intelligence official. The Defense Department says the program shut down in 2012, although Elizondo told The Times the only thing that ended in 2012 was ended was government's funding of the program.
"I'm not embarrassed or ashamed or sorry I got this thing going," Reid told The Times. "I think it's one of the good things I did in my congressional service. I've done something that no one has done before."
The program's backers said that the program still exists without funding and continues to investigate "episodes" brought forth by service members while carrying out other tasks in the Defense Department, The Times reported.

Minnie Driver: men like Matt Damon 'simply cannot understand what abuse is like' - Guardian

Minnie Driver: men like Matt Damon 'simply cannot understand what abuse is like'
Actor calls former co-star’s remarks about ‘spectrum of behaviour’ in sexual misconduct ‘Orwellian’ and questions defence of disgraced comedian Louis CK
Minnie Driver, seen in Beverley Hills in 2016.
Minnie Driver, seen in Beverley Hills in 2016. Photograph: Mario Anzuoni/Reuters
Edward Helmore
Sunday 17 December 2017 19.19 AEDT
The actor Minnie Driver has told the Guardian that men “simply cannot understand what abuse is like on a daily level” and should not therefore attempt to differentiate or explain sexual misconduct against women.
What Salma Hayek’s Weinstein story reveals about Hollywood power and pay
Read more
Driver was discussing comments by Matt Damon, whom she once dated and with whom she starred in the Oscar-winning 1997 film Good Will Hunting. In an interview with ABC News this week, Damon said alleged sexual misconduct by powerful men involved “a spectrum of behaviour”.
Damon said there was “a difference between patting someone on the butt and rape or child molestation. Both of those behaviours need to be confronted and eradicated without question, but they shouldn’t be conflated.”
He added that society was in a “watershed moment” and said it was “wonderful that women are feeling empowered to tell their stories and it’s totally necessary”. But he said: “We live in this culture of outrage and injury, that we’re going to have to correct enough to kind of go, ‘Wait a minute. None of us came here perfect.’”
In her first response to Damon, Driver wrote on Twitter: “God God, seriously?
“Gosh it’s so interesting (profoundly unsurprising) how men with all these opinions about women’s differentiation between sexual misconduct, assault and rape reveal themselves to be utterly tone deaf and as a result, systemically part of the problem.”
Driver’s response to Damon was shared widely on social media, alongside that of the actor Alyssa Milano, who said: “There are different stages of cancer. Some more treatable than others. But it’s still cancer.”
On Saturday, Driver told the Guardian: “I felt I desperately needed to say something. I’ve realised that most men, good men, the men that I love, there is a cut-off. They simply cannot understand what abuse is like on a daily level.
“I honestly think that until we get on the same page, you can’t tell a woman about their abuse. A man cannot do that. No one can. It is so individual and so personal, it’s galling when a powerful man steps up and starts dictating the terms, whether he intends it or not.”
Driver’s comments come more than two months into a radical national reappraisal of gender relations begun by accusations against Harvey Weinstein, an executive producer of Good Will Hunting who denies allegations including sexual assault and rape.
Speaking to ABC, Damon compared allegations against Weinstein, Al Franken, Kevin Spacey and the comedian Louis CK, whom he commended for his remorseful response.
“That’s the sign of somebody who – well, we can work with that,” Damon said, adding: “I don’t know Louis CK. I’ve never met him. I’m a fan of his, but I don’t imagine he’s going to do those things again. You know what I mean? I imagine the price that he’s paid at this point is so beyond anything ... ”
Driver said that as accusations, suspensions and firings first swept through Hollywood, she initially refrained from comment. She was now moved to expand her initial response to Damon.
“I don’t understand why Matt would defend Louis CK,” she said. “It seems to me that he thinks that because he didn’t rape somebody – so far as we know – that what he did do wasn’t as bad.”
The comedian was accused of misconduct including masturbating in front of a number of women. In response, he said “these stories are true” but did not specifically apologise.
Matt Damon attends a screening in New York
Facebook Twitter Pinterest
Matt Damon attends a screening in New York. Photograph: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP
“That’s a problem,” Driver continued. “If good men like Matt Damon are thinking like that then we’re in a lot of fucking trouble. We need good intelligent men to say this is all bad across the board, condemn it all and start again.”
Driver argued that men should not be granted the power to interpret abuse inflicted on women without the risk of redoubling an injustice they can scarcely understand.
“I felt that what Matt Damon was saying was an Orwellian idea, we are all equal except that some us are more equal than others,” she said. “Put abuse in there … that all abuse is equal but some is worse.”
She added: “There is no hierarchy of abuse – that if a woman is raped [it] is much worse than if woman has a penis exposed to her that she didn’t want or ask for … you cannot tell those women that one is supposed to feel worse than the other.
“And it certainly can’t be prescribed by a man. The idea of tone deafness is the idea there [is] no equivalency.
Peter Jackson: I blacklisted Ashley Judd and Mira Sorvino under pressure from Weinstein
“How about: it’s all fucking wrong and it’s all bad, and until you start seeing it under one umbrella it’s not your job to compartmentalise or judge what is worse and what is not. Let women do the speaking up right now. The time right now is for men just to listen and not have an opinion about it for once.”
Since the first publication of allegations against Weinstein, a number of women have come forward to detail abuse they have suffered. This week, the actor Salma Hayek wrote a long essay for the New York Times about her treatment by Weinstein.
“There is not a woman I know,” Driver said, “myself included, who has not experienced verbal abuse and sexual epithets their whole fucking life, right up to being manhandled and having my career threatened several times by men I wouldn’t sleep with.”
Driver did not elaborate on the persons or circumstances involved. But she expressed optimism that as the culture of harassment and abuse that has existed is exposed, men will find a way to support women.
“In the same stereotypical way that we see women being supportive of men in their endeavors,” she said, “I feel that’s what women need of men in this moment. They need men to lean on and not question.


“Men can rally and they can support, but I don’t think its appropriate, per se, for men to have an opinion about how women should be metabolising abuse. Ever.”