Trump Takes Over CPAC — But Will He Own the Conservative Movement Too? - NBC News

Trump Takes Over CPAC — But Will He Own the Conservative Movement Too?

Trump takes over CPAC

A year ago at the height of the Republican presidential primary, not only did Donald Trump skip the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), he also received criticism from some of the speakers. "One of these candidates is not Tea Party at all. I know Donald Trump says he loves the Tea Party, but that's not what it takes to be Tea Party," said Jenny Beth Martin, co-founder of Tea Party Patriots. "You have to put freedom above your own interest." Well, things have certainly changed: Team Trump has taken over this year's CPAC, which begins today and lasts through Saturday. Indeed, as many as eight high-level Trump administration officials will address the conference over the next three days, including the president himself:

Kellyanne Conway (Thursday at 9:10 am ET)

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos (Thursday at 12:50 pm ET)

Reince Priebus and Steve Bannon (Thursday at 1:05 pm ET)

Vice President Mike Pence (Thursday at 7:30 pm ET)

President Trump (Friday at 10:20 am ET)

KT McFarland (Friday at 7:30 pm ET)

EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt (Saturday at 1:50 pm ET)

By contrast, just two members of George W. Bush's team spoke at CPAC in 2001 (Dick Cheney and Karl Rove), but President Reagan and about one-third of his cabinet attended the conference in 1981. Since we started covering politics, CPAC has always featured different strands of the conservative movement -- the Paul libertarians, the Ted Cruz-like social conservatives, the Tea Party crowd, and even pro-immigration-reform conservatives. But this year, and most likely through at least 2020, Trump-ism (with its stances on immigration, race, and trade) is dominating CPAC.

But does he take over conservatism?

The bigger question, however, is whether Trump's time in office actually takes over the conservative movement, too. The Never-Trump crowd isn't so sure. "It's going to take a lot more than what the Trump folks have managed to take conservatism over from Burke and Kirk, to say nothing of Thatcher or Goldwater or Reagan," GOP strategist Liz Mair tells First Read.

Conservative radio host Charlie Sykes adds, "I would say that conservatism is in temporary eclipse. It remains intellectually robust and has deep roots at the local and state level. But for the time being, personality politics has trumped principles. Trump World has exposed how few genuine principled conservative there really were. It turns out that even conservatives were not that into small government, free markets, etc."

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Trump staffers work to control president's Twitter habit 5:19

Setting the CPAC stage

A divided conservative movement: NBC's Benjy Sarlin sets the stage for this year's CPAC. "Trump enjoys strong approval ratings among Republicans, but the rocky lead-up to the event this year is a reminder that the conservative movement is still divided over the president and the ideas raised by his campaign.

On Monday, CPAC dropped planned speaker Milo Yiannopoulos, a popular figure in so-called alt right circles who refers to Trump as "Daddy," after videos surfaced in which he discussed whether sex between young teenagers and adults might be considered consensual. Yiannopoulos also resigned from Breitbart News, which Bannon ran until leaving to oversee Trump's campaign last year. The outrage over the footage was amplified by prominent figures on the right who argued from the start that inviting Yiannopoulos was a mistake. 'The alt right is not part of the conservative movement,' ACU board member Ned Ryun said Tuesday on MSNBC's Hardball. 'I don't think we need to normalize them.'"

Trump administration rescinds Obama guidance on transgender protections

Meanwhile, in non-CPAC news… "In a complete reversal of the Obama administration's position, President Donald Trump's administration formally rescinded past guidance on transgender bathroom protections in public schools," per NBC News.

MORE: "Letters from the Justice and Education departments late Wednesday notified the Supreme Court and the nation's public schools that the administration is changing its position on the issue. Former President Barack Obama instructed public schools that they must allow transgender students to use bathrooms and locker rooms that align with a child's chosen gender identity. The guidance was issued as an interpretation of Title IX, which prohibits sex discrimination in education. Now, the administration is revoking key guidance on which that policy was based. The letter informs the court that the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division will no longer 'rely on the views expressed in that guidance, and instead will consider further and more completely the legal issues involved.'"

A sidelined secretary of state?

That's message from a pair of news articles out this morning. The Washington Post: "The Trump administration in its first month has largely benched the State Department from its long-standing role as the pre­eminent voice of U.S. foreign policy, curtailing public engagement and official travel and relegating Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to a mostly offstage role. Decisions on hiring, policy and scheduling are being driven by a White House often wary of the foreign policy establishment and struggling to set priorities and write policy on the fly."

And Politico: "Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has asked his aides to find ways to improve his media profile, a request that comes as U.S. diplomats increasingly worry about the direction of the State Department and whether their new boss has enough influence with President Donald Trump." NBC's Andrew Rafferty looks at Tillerson's trip to Mexico.

The big elephant in the room of the race for DNC chair

As DNC members travel to Atlanta to choose the party's next chair on Saturday, there's an elephant in the room that no one is talking about it — but that everyone is thinking about: Keith Ellison's Muslim faith.

Don't get us wrong, this isn't an issue among the 447 DNC members. As we've written, many/most voting members would be happy with either Ellison or Tom Perez. But some outside the party seem to be goading Democrats to pick Ellison, as David Duke did earlier this month. Even President Trump weighed in on Ellison yesterday, tweeting: "One thing I will say about Rep. Keith Ellison, in his fight to lead the DNC, is that he was the one who predicted early that I would win!"

Trump Cabinet watch

Secretary of State: Rex Tillerson CONFIRMED

Attorney General: Jeff Sessions CONFIRMED

Treasury: Steve Mnuchin CONFIRMED

Defense: JamesMattis CONFIRMED

Homeland: John Kelly CONFIRMED

Interior: Ryan Zinke NOMINATED

HHS: Tom Price CONFIRMED

HUD: Ben Carson NOMINATED

Education: Betsy DeVos CONFIRMED

Commerce: Wilbur Ross NOMINATED

Transportation: Elaine Chao CONFIRMED

Labor: Alexander Acosta NOMINATED

Agriculture: Sonny Perdue NOMINATED

Energy: Rick Perry NOMINATED

Veterans Affairs: David Shulkin CONFIRMED

OMB Director: Mick Mulvaney CONFIRMED

U.S Trade Representative: Robert Lighthizer NOMINATED

UN Ambassador: Nikki Haley CONFIRMED

Environmental Protection Agency: Scott Pruitt CONFIRMED

Small Business Administration: Linda McMahon CONFIRMED

CIA Director: Mike Pompeo CONFIRMED

Official Swedish Twitter account debunks Trump lying tweets one by one - Independent

An official Swedish Twitter account that is controlled by a different citizen each week has taken Donald Trump to task over his claims about the country.

The US President was greeted with a mixture of confusion and ridicule after he told a campaign-style rally in Florida: “We've got to keep our country safe. You look at what's happening in Germany, you look at what's happening last night in Sweden. Who would believe this? Sweden! They took in large numbers, they’re having problems like they never thought possible.”

In response, Swedish politicians, news outlets and ordinary citizens, took to social media to question what had happened on a relatively peaceful Friday night in the Scandinavian country.

Charged with operating the @Sweden Twitter handle this week, Max Karlsson decided to debunk Mr Trump’s claims about his homeland.

The 22-year-old paralegal from Stockholm, told The Independent that he was driven to speak out because he believes passionately that even the US President should be held accountable for unverified claims.

“His comment felt so out of place, and in line with the image of Sweden that the so called 'alt-media' is trying to push,” he said. “Initially I thought I would address the issue with a lot more humour, but after speaking with friends I saw that this was a great opportunity to draw a line in the sand with facts.”

He added that he felt compelled to set the record straight "grounded in facts."

“Let's be clear: a lot happened #lastnightinsweden. Things happen all of the time. Just not the things @realdonaldtrump are spreading,” he wrote on Twitter.

Taking aim at claims Sweden is suffering from rising crime rates, he wrote: "We have around 100 murders per year. That's like two days in the US. Two. Days."

He added: “Crime in Sweden has not increased over the last 20 years. On the contrary, Sweden is safer.”

He also cited official commerce and industry statistics to demonstrate the positive impact of immigration on the country, after Mr Trump claimed it had created “problems like they never thought possible.”

“During the time Sweden received 250,000 refugees, unemployment has fallen with 1,2%-points,” he said.

“More people are working in Sweden than ever before…and in % a higher share is working than in 25 years.”

Sweden took in more refugees per capita than any other European country in 2016.

The former real-estate mogul focused on Europe's migrant crisis at last week's rally, linking migration to terror attacks in Brussels, Nice and Paris - before adding Sweden to the list.

Jeremy Corbyn and Donald Trump are cut from the same cloth

Mr Trump later explained he had seen a Fox News segment featuring a documentary filmmaker that accused the Swedish government of covering up an epidemic of immigration-related crime.

“When I found out it was based on the Horowitz clip, I felt a solid mixture of sadness and irritation that the world's most powerful man believes anything he sees on TV as long as it fits in his own narrative,” Mr Karlsson told The Independent.

It came as a 2016 report found immigration had helped fuel Sweden's biggest economic boom in five years.

A poll also rated the country the best for serving the interests of its citizens, when it was taken last year.

Canada accepts illegal immigrants fleeing USA - Reuters

Ottawa: Canada will continue to accept asylum seekers crossing illegally from the United States but will ensure security measures are taken to keep Canadians safe, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Tuesday.

The number of would-be refugees crossing into Canada at isolated and unguarded border crossings has increased in recent weeks amid fears that US President Donald Trump will crack down on illegal immigrants, and photos of smiling Canadian police greeting the migrants have gone viral.

Opposition Conservatives want Trudeau's centre-left Liberal government to stem the flow of asylum seekers from the United States because of security fears and a lack of resources to deal with them.

"One of the reasons why Canada remains an open country is Canadians trust our immigration system and the integrity of our borders and the help we provide people who are looking for safety," Trudeau told Parliament.

rigorous system and accepting people who need help."

The reassurance comes as the country announced it will resettle 1200 Yazidi refugees facing genocide at the hands of Islamic State in Iraq, the Agence France-Press reported.

Yazidi women and children would arrive on commercial flights at a "controlled pace" to avoid overwhelming Canada's refugee system. 

Mr Hussen also told Reuters Canada would continue to honour the Canada-US Safe Third Country Agreement, which requires it to turn back refugees if they make asylum claims at Canadian border crossings with the US. Refugee advocates have argued this drives asylum seekers to cross illegally at isolated locations, risking their lives in frigid weather.

Amnesty International and other groups are pressuring the Canadian government to abandon the agreement, arguing the United States is not safe for refugees. US President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced measures to deport thousands of undocumented migrants.

Last week, a family of eight from Sudan crossed the border under the noses of US officers who didn't stop women and children from scrambling in the snow to reach Canada.

bolstered their presence at the Quebec border and that border authorities had created a temporary refugee centre to process the asylum seekers.

The number of people making refugee claims at Quebec-US border crossings more than doubled from 2015 to 2016. Last month, 452 people made claims in Quebec compared with 137 in January 2016.

The influx is straining resources in the western prairie province of Manitoba and in Quebec, where taxis drop asylum seekers off metres away from the border, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) said.

The right-leaning Conservative opposition have called on Canadian authorities to hand illegal immigrants over to US authorities, but Hussen said Canada can honour its refugee agreement with the United States while helping asylum seekers who enter the country illegally.

Reuters

Mike Pence to visit EU but Steve Banon gave wrong message - Reuters

In the week before U.S. Vice President Mike Pence visited Brussels and pledged America's "steadfast and enduring" commitment to the European Union, White House chief strategist Steve Bannon met with a German diplomat and delivered a different message, according to people familiar with the talks.
Bannon, these people said, signalled to Germany's ambassador to Washington that he viewed the EU as a flawed construct and favoured conducting relations with Europe on a bilateral basis.
Three people who were briefed on the meeting spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter. The German government and the ambassador, Peter Wittig, declined to comment, citing the confidentiality of the talks.
A White House official who checked with Bannon in response to a Reuters query confirmed the meeting had taken place but said the account provided to Reuters was inaccurate. "They only spoke for about three minutes and it was just a quick hello," the official said.
The sources described a longer meeting in which Bannon took the time to spell out his world view. They said his message was similar to the one he delivered to a Vatican conference back in 2014 when he was running the right-wing website Breitbart News.
In those remarks, delivered via Skype, Bannon spoke favourably about European populist movements and described a yearning for nationalism by people who "don't believe in this kind of pan-European Union."
Western Europe, he said at the time, was built on a foundation of "strong nationalist movements", adding: "I think it's what can see us forward".
The encounter unsettled people in the German government, in part because some officials had been holding out hope that Bannon might temper his views once in government and offer a more nuanced message on Europe in private.
By Noah Barkin | BERLIN
In the week before U.S. Vice President Mike Pence visited Brussels and pledged America's "steadfast and enduring" commitment to the European Union, White House chief strategist Steve Bannon met with a German diplomat and delivered a different message, according to people familiar with the talks.
Bannon, these people said, signalled to Germany's ambassador to Washington that he viewed the EU as a flawed construct and favoured conducting relations with Europe on a bilateral basis.
Three people who were briefed on the meeting spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter. The German government and the ambassador, Peter Wittig, declined to comment, citing the confidentiality of the talks.
A White House official who checked with Bannon in response to a Reuters query confirmed the meeting had taken place but said the account provided to Reuters was inaccurate. "They only spoke for about three minutes and it was just a quick hello," the official said.
The sources described a longer meeting in which Bannon took the time to spell out his world view. They said his message was similar to the one he delivered to a Vatican conference back in 2014 when he was running the right-wing website Breitbart News.
In those remarks, delivered via Skype, Bannon spoke favourably about European populist movements and described a yearning for nationalism by people who "don't believe in this kind of pan-European Union."
Western Europe, he said at the time, was built on a foundation of "strong nationalist movements", adding: "I think it's what can see us forward".
The encounter unsettled people in the German government, in part because some officials had been holding out hope that Bannon might temper his views once in government and offer a more nuanced message on Europe in private.
One source briefed on the meeting said it had confirmed the view that Germany and its European partners must prepare for a policy of "hostility towards the EU".
A second source expressed concern, based on his contacts with the administration, that there was no appreciation for the EU's role in ensuring peace and prosperity in post-war Europe.
"There appears to be no understanding in the White House that an unravelling of the EU would have grave consequences," the source said.
The White House said there was no transcript of the conversation. The sources who had been briefed on it described it as polite and stressed there was no evidence Trump was prepared to go beyond his rhetorical attacks on the EU - he has repeatedly praised Britain's decision to leave - and take concrete steps to destabilise the bloc.
But anxiety over the White House stance led French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault and Wolfgang Ischinger, chairman of the Munich Security Conference, to issue unusual calls last week for Pence to affirm during his visit to Europe that the U.S. was not aiming to break up the EU.
Pence obliged on Monday in Brussels, pledging strong ties between the United States and the EU, and making clear his message was shared by the president.
"President Trump and I look forward to working together with you and the European Union to deepen our political and economic partnership," he said.
But the message did not end the concerns in European capitals.
"We are worried and we should be worried," Thomas Matussek, senior adviser at Flint Global and a former German ambassador to the Britain and the United Nations, told Reuters.
"No one knows anything at the moment about what sort of decisions will be coming out of Washington. But it is clear that the man on top and the people closest to him feel that it's the nation state that creates identity and not what they see as an amorphous group of countries like the EU."
With elections looming in the Netherlands, France and Germany this year, European officials said they hoped Pence, Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson could convince Trump to work constructively with the EU.
The worst-case scenario from Europe's point of view was described by Ischinger in an article published last week, entitled "How Europe should deal with Trump".
He said that if the U.S. administration actively supported right-wing populists in the looming election campaigns it would trigger a "major transatlantic crisis".

(Additional reporting by Roberta Rampton and Alastair Macdonald in Brussels, Jeff Mason in Washington; editing by Mark John)

UK parliament debates cancelling Trump's state visit - Independent

A cross-party group of MPs has called on Theresa May to rescind an invitation for Donald Trump to attend a state visit to the UK later this year.

As thousands of people protested outside Westminster, MPs branded the US President “disgusting” and “immoral” as they criticised the Prime Minister for appearing to act in “desperation” by extending the offer to Mr Trump just seven days after he entered the White House.

The debate was triggered after a petition to block Mr Trump’s state visit reached almost two million signatories. A separate petition, defending the state visit, which attracted more than 300,000 signatures, also formed part of the debate.


READ MORE
Tory MP says he has seen no evidence of Donald Trump being racist
Calling on the Government to reconsider its offer, Labour's Paul Flynn compared the US President's behaviour to a "petulant child", while fellow Labour MP Daniel Zeichner branded him “a disgusting and immoral man” who “represents the very opposite of the values we hold”.

Their views appeared to echo the protesters outside Parliament. Carrying colourful placards and banners, separate groups led rallying cries, including "Hey hey, hey ho; Trump and Brexit's got to go," and "No Trump, no Brexit; no racist EU exit."

Inside the house, Liberal Democrat MP Alistair Carmichael said Ms May was left looking “desperate and craven” while Labour’s Dawn Butler said the US had a “pretty nasty virus, and it’s important that virus doesn’t spread”.

Green MP Caroline Lucas attacked Mr Trump’s “effrontery to basic climate science” and the SNP’s Alex Salmond suggested there was “desperation for a trade deal” driving Ms May’s Government.

They clashed with several Conservative MPs who insisted Ms May was right to prioritise Britain’s national interest by fostering good relations with its historic ally.

Tory Nigel Evans said he had seen no evidence from the first four weeks of the Trump administration to suggest that the President was “racist”.

"When we stand up in this country and condemn him for being racist, and I have seen no evidence of that, I have seen no evidence of him being racist, we are actually attacking the American people,” he said.

Leigh also defended Mr Trump, saying his unsuccessful travel ban on seven majority-Muslim countries did not amount to racism.

“I don’t think there is any proof that this travel ban is racist,” he said.

“Indonesia is the largest Muslim country in the world, there is no question of a travel ban on Indonesia.

“These countries are riddled by civil war, this travel ban builds on work done by [Barack] Obama.

“So to accuse the new President of the US of racism, misogyny and all the rest is overstated.”

Much of the debate centred on the timing of the offer, coming just a week after Mr Trump was inaugurated and during a hastily-arranged visit to Washington by Ms May.

Barack Obama only received an invitation after 758 days, while his predecessor, George W Bush, waited 978 days before he was offered a state visit.

Tory MP Crispin Blunt said he was not opposed to a state visit but said it should be delayed until 2020 – the 400th anniversary of the voyage of the Mayflower.

However, Foreign Office Minister Sir Alan Duncan said Mr Trump's state visit to the UK "should happen and will happen".

He told MPs in the Westminster Hall debate: "This is a special moment for the special relationship. The visit should happen, the visit will happen and when it does I trust the United Kingdom will extend a polite and generous welcome to president Donald Trump."

The debate over the US President’s impending trip took place against the backdrop of protests across the UK against the state visit.


READ MORE
Donald Trump's state visit debate live: MPs discuss President's trip
The faint shouts of demonstrators could be heard inside Westminster Hall while outside in Parliament Square, thousands of protesters had gathered.

Organisers of the rally said they expected more than 20,000 people to take part.

Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott, addressing the crowds, warned about the "dark shadow of racism and anti-immigrant sentiment" that were beginning to emerge.

She said: "We know the values that Trump represents. With Donald Trump, you don't have to look into a crystal ball, you can read the book.

"He was supported in his presidential campaign by white supremacists. And even in the first weeks of his presidency he has had a viscerally anti-immigrant line."

Calls for the state visit to be cancelled have been backed by Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, who criticised the president's "cruel and shameful" policies.

But the Government has remained steadfast in its commitment to honour the invite.

In its official response to the petitions, it stressed ministers believed "the President of the United States should be extended the full courtesy of a state visit".

What a broken down White House looks like ? - New York Times

I still have trouble seeing how the Trump administration survives a full term. Judging by his Thursday press conference, President Trump’s mental state is like a train that long ago left freewheeling and iconoclastic, has raced through indulgent, chaotic and unnerving, and is now careening past unhinged, unmoored and unglued.

Trump’s White House staff is at war with itself. His poll ratings are falling at unprecedented speed. His policy agenda is stalled. F.B.I. investigations are just beginning. This does not feel like a sustainable operation.

On the other hand, I have trouble seeing exactly how this administration ends. Many of the institutions that would normally ease out or remove a failing president no longer exist.

There are no longer moral arbiters in Congress like Howard Baker and Sam Ervin to lead a resignation or impeachment process. There is no longer a single media establishment that shapes how the country sees the president. This is no longer a country in which everybody experiences the same reality.

Everything about Trump that appalls 65 percent of America strengthens him with the other 35 percent, and he can ride that group for a while. Even after these horrible four weeks, Republicans on Capitol Hill are not close to abandoning their man.

The likelihood is this: We’re going to have an administration that has morally and politically collapsed, without actually going away.

What does that look like?

First, it means an administration that is passive, full of sound and fury, but signifying nothing. To get anything done, a president depends on the vast machinery of the U.S. government. But Trump doesn’t mesh with that machinery. He is personality-based while it is rule-based. Furthermore, he’s declared war on it. And when you declare war on the establishment, it declares war on you.

The Civil Service has a thousand ways to ignore or sit on any presidential order. The court system has given itself carte blanche to overturn any Trump initiative, even on the flimsiest legal grounds. The intelligence community has only just begun to undermine this president.

President Trump can push all the pretty buttons on the command deck of the Starship Enterprise, but don’t expect anything to actually happen, because they are not attached.









Second, this will probably become a more insular administration. Usually when administrations stumble, they fire a few people and bring in the grown-ups — the James Baker or the David Gergen types. But Trump is anti-grown-up, so it’s hard to imagine Chief of Staff Haley Barbour. Instead, the circle of trust seems to be shrinking to his daughter, her husband and Stephen Bannon.

Bannon has a coherent worldview, which is a huge advantage when all is chaos. It’s interesting how many of Bannon’s rivals have woken up with knives in their backs. Michael Flynn is gone. Reince Priebus has been unmanned by a thousand White House leaks. Rex Tillerson had the potential to be an effective secretary of state, but Bannon neutered him last week by denying him the ability to even select his own deputy.

In an administration in which “promoted beyond his capacity” takes on new meaning, Bannon looms. With each passing day, Trump talks more like Bannon without the background reading.

Third, we are about to enter a decentralized world. For the past 70 years most nations have instinctively looked to the U.S. for leadership, either to follow or oppose. But in capitals around the world, intelligence agencies are drafting memos with advice on how to play Donald Trump.

The first conclusion is obvious. This administration is more like a medieval monarchy than a modern nation-state. It’s more “The Madness of King George” than “The Missiles of October.” The key currency is not power, it’s flattery.

The corollary is that Trump is ripe to be played. Give the boy a lollipop and he won’t notice if you steal his lunch. The Japanese gave Trump a new jobs announcement he could take to the Midwest, and in return they got presidential attention and coddling that other governments would have died for.

If you want to roll the Trump administration, you’ve got to get in line. The Israelis got a possible one-state solution. The Chinese got Trump to flip-flop on the “One China” policy. The Europeans got him to do a 180 on undoing the Iran nuclear deal.

Vladimir Putin was born for a moment such as this. He is always pushing the envelope. After gifting Team Trump with a little campaign help, the Russian state media has suddenly turned on Trump and Russian planes are buzzing U.S. ships. The bear is going to grab what it can.

We’re about to enter a moment in which U.S. economic and military might is strong but U.S. political might is weak. Imagine the Roman Empire governed by Monaco.

That’s scary. The only saving thought is this: The human imagination is vast, but it is not nearly vast enough to encompass the infinitely multitudinous ways Donald Trump can find to get himself disgraced.

Facebook Mark Zuckerberg on rise of Trumpism - NBC News

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is reframing his platform — at times a cesspit of political outrage — for the Trump era.
In a long letter on his Facebook pageThursday, Zuckerberg lamented the rise of isolationism and the backlash against globalization. When Facebook first launched in 2004, supporting a more connected, global community was not controversial, he wrote.
"Yet now, across the world there are people left behind by globalization, and movements for withdrawing from global connection," wrote Zuckerberg. "There are questions about whether we can make a global community that works for everyone, and whether the path ahead is to connect more or reverse course."
Facebook and the wider tech community have been reeling since the election of President Donald Trump, which seemed to underline just how out of touch Silicon Valley has been with the rest of the U.S. There's growing concern that Trumpian policies that emphasize protectionism and prioritize old technology over new will precipitate a backlash against the tech companies themselves.
The anti-globalization movement has taken hold in other countries as well, with the U.K. voting to withdraw from the European Union and rightist Marine LePen showing a strong chance of becoming France's next president.
With this post, Zuckerberg seems to be speaking directly to those who might feel disenfranchised in light of the rise of new technologies. "The best solutions for improving discourse may come from getting to know each other as whole people instead of just opinions — something Facebook may be uniquely suited to do."
He also addressed critics who believe that Facebook has not done enough to combat fake news, including posts that some people said influenced the presidential election — an idea Zuckerberg previously called "pretty crazy."
He is not, however, suggesting taking a hard-line approach against fake news: "Our approach will focus less on banning misinformation, and more on surfacing additional perspectives and information, including that fact checkers dispute an item's accuracy," he wrote.
The post — which makes no mention of Facebook as a business — is likely to fuel speculation about Zuckerberg's interests beyond steering the social media giant to greater profitability.
Related: Zuckerberg's New Year's Resolution Is to Meet You
The young CEO's annual New Year's resolution — to meet people in every U.S. state — ignited discussion about whether Zuckerberg waspositioning himself for a role in politics, something he has denied.
Zuckerberg concluded with a kind of get-out clause and attempt to reassure the community.
"Facebook is a work in progress, and we are dedicated to learning and improving," he wrote. "We take our responsibility seriously, and today I want to talk about how we plan to do our part to build this global community."

McCain on Trump : Dictators all started by attacking free press

(CNN)Sen. John McCain slammed President Donald Trump's attacks on the media this week by noting dictators "get started by suppressing free press."
It was a startling observation from a sitting member of Congress against the President of the United States, especially considering McCain is a member of Trump's party.
"I hate the press," the Arizona Republican sarcastically told NBC News' Chuck Todd on "Meet the Press." "I hate you especially. But the fact is we need you. We need a free press. We must have it. It's vital."
But he continued, "If you want to preserve -- I'm very serious now -- if you want to preserve democracy as we know it, you have to have a free and many times adversarial press," McCain said in the interview. "And without it, I am afraid that we would lose so much of our individual liberties over time. That's how dictators get started."
McCain has been a frequent critic of the President, particularly in the areas of foreign policy and national security, since before Trump entered the White House.
The 2008 Republican presidential nominee said Americans must pay attention to history to understand the past connections between leaders of oppressive governments and efforts to stifle the media.
"They get started by suppressing free press, in other words, a consolidation of power -- when you look at history, the first thing that dictators do is shut down the press," McCain said. "And I'm not saying that President Trump is trying to be a dictator. I'm just saying we need to learn the lessons of history."
Trump tweeted Friday that CNN and other major media outlets were "the enemy of the American people."
McCain has been a frequent critic of the President, particularly in the areas of foreign policy and national security, since before Trump entered the White House.
The 2008 Republican presidential nominee said Americans must pay attention to history to understand the past connections between leaders of oppressive governments and efforts to stifle the media.
"They get started by suppressing free press, in other words, a consolidation of power -- when you look at history, the first thing that dictators do is shut down the press," McCain said. "And I'm not saying that President Trump is trying to be a dictator. I'm just saying we need to learn the lessons of history."
Trump tweeted Friday that CNN and other major media outlets were "the enemy of the American people."


Donald J. Trump‏ ‪@realDonaldTrump‬

‪The FAKE NEWS media (failing ‪@nytimes‬, ‪@NBCNews‬, ‪@ABC‬, ‪@CBS‬, ‪@CNN‬) is not my enemy, it is the enemy of the American People!‬8:48 AM · Feb 18, 2017



Carl Bernstein‏ ‪@carlbernstein‬

‪The most dangerous 'enemy of the people' is presidential lying--always. Attacks on press by ‪@realDonaldTrump‬ more treacherous than Nixon's.‬7:04 PM · Feb 18, 2017

How Working for Yourself Can Boost Your Retirement Savings - TIME

How Working for Yourself Can Boost Your Retirement Savings

Posted: 17 Jan 2017 06:41 AM PST

When Kathleen Keating worked for IBM, she didn’t think much about her retirement plan. She signed up for the company’s 401(k) and left it at that.
But at the age of 40, she decided to leave the corporate world and become her own boss. That meant coming up with her own retirement savings plan as well.
What she found was surprising. Working for herself for the last nine years allowed the Boston-area public relations professional to set aside thousands of dollars more per year for retirement, reducing her income tax bill substantially, while giving her more options about when and how to invest.

“I have so much more flexibility,” she said. “When you’re working for someone else, you’re locked in to their retirement plans and you have to deal with HR and all the paperwork.”
Financial advisors say that retirement plans for self-employed Americans have become more popular in recent years, thanks to a 2001 tax law that allows them to put much more money away than most people who work for someone else. But to make it work, they have to be more diligent about setting up the accounts and putting money in regularly.
If they do, the difference can be substantial. Most workers on a traditional 401(k) can set aside a maximum of $18,000 this year—or up to $24,000 if they are over the age of 50. By comparison, a self-employed worker can quickly set up a type of investment account called a SEP IRA and put away 25% of their income, up to a maximum of $54,000 this year.
Self-employed workers willing to do a little more paperwork can also set up what is called a solo or individual 401(k), which allows them to put the typical $18,000 salary deferral in as well as 25% of their income, dramatically increasing the amount they can set aside in a year.
They can also put money in on their own schedule. Workers on a traditional 401(k) at a medium- to large-sized corporation typically need to sign up at the beginning of the year to have money taken out of each paycheck. Changing the contribution amount can take a few pay cycles, making it harder to catch up at the end of the year if you realize you weren’t putting away enough.
But donations to SEP IRAs and individual 401(k)s can be made in lump sums, whenever. For self-employed workers who can see big swings each month in how much they’re making, that makes it easier to put a chunk of money in when they’re having a good month and hold off when times are tight. And if they want, they can wait until they’re doing their taxes to add another big chunk to reduce their taxable income.
David Rae is a self-employed financial planner in West Hollywood who works with a lot of people in the entertainment industry who don’t have regular jobs or access to traditional 401(k)s. He set up a SEP IRA shortly after starting his business and recommends that his clients do the same to give themselves the option to set aside money when they have it.
“If you happen to have a good month, you can write a big check,” he said.
The potential market for self-employed retirement plans is huge. According to a report from the Pew Research Center, 14.6 million Americans were self-employed in 2014, representing about 10% of the national workforce. (Another 29.4 million, or about 20% of the workforce, were hired by self-employed Americans.)
Susan Diehl, president of PenServ Plan Services, a consulting firm that works with employers and financial institutions on retirement plans, said that individual 401(k) plans became “the hottest thing since sliced bread for the self-employed” in recent years because of how much workers can save.
She gives the example of a consultant over the age of 50 making $50,000 a year. With a SEP IRA, they could set aside up to 25 percent of their income, or $12,500. With a solo 401(k), they could put in another $24,000 on top of that, for a total of $36,500—or nearly three-fourths of their income. That would dramatically reduce their income tax while also saving much for retirement more than a traditional worker could.
Some older workers may need to. A national survey commissioned by Experian in 2016 found that 71% of Americans felt they did not have enough retirement savings.
For Keating, who has maxed out her contributions most years since starting her business, working for herself has helped her catch up to her retirement goals, and forced her to take a more active role in securing her financial future.
“I think if I was on somebody else’s payroll, I don’t know if I would be as diligent about having these conversations,” she said. “I 100% feel it’s all on me.”
Click here for more articles from Time Inc.’s Looking Forward series.

Trump inspires bipartisanship between Republican & Democrats to rein him in from Russia - Huffington Post

inspiring bipartisanship on Capitol Hill, but not in a way he wants: Republicans and Democrats in Congress are teaming up to try to prevent him from unilaterally lifting sanctions on Russia.

House Republicans and Democrats introduced a bill Wednesday to require congressional approval of any sanctions relief provided to Russia. It’s the same bill, the Russia Sanctions Review Act, that Senate Republicans and Democrats introduced together last week. The measure would give Congress 120 days to approve or reject a presidential effort to lift sanctions on Russia, and the president couldn’t move forward with lifting any sanctions during that period.

The legislation comes in the midst of a scandal involving the president and his team of advisers, and their potential ties to Russian officials who interfered in last year’s U.S. election to try to help Trump win. Trump’s national security adviser, Michael Flynn, resigned Monday amid reports that he not only talked to a Russian official in December about sanctions, but lied about it. Another report surfaced Tuesday indicating people on Trump’s campaign were in “constant” contact with Russian officials throughout the election.

Congress has been scrambling to make sense of the revelations, with questions arising about how much Trump knew about his team’s communications with Russians, and when. Trump, meanwhile, has said he’s open to easing sanctions on Russia. That’s not okay with many lawmakers, regardless of their party.
onversations with the Russian ambassador on the subject of sanctions makes this legislation all the more important,” Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), the top Democrat on the House intelligence committee and a co-sponsor of the bill, told reporters.

“If there were condoned discussions that Flynn had, or if he was acting as a free agent ― in either scenario, this president should not have the unfettered capability of eliminating Russian sanctions,” Schiff said.

Republican co-sponsors on the bill include Reps. Tom Rooney (Fla.) and Adam Kinzinger (Ill.) in the House, and Sens. Lindsey Graham (S.C.), Marco Rubio (Fla.) and John McCain (Ariz.) in the Senate. Rooney and Rubio sit on the intelligence committees in their respective chambers.
in a Congress largely divided along party lines. It also comes as Republicans, now in control of the legislative and executive branches, are eager to move forward with their agenda. The fact that they’re already teaming up with Democrats to rein in Trump’s actions on Russia, just four weeks into his presidency, shows how much Trump’s problems are affecting his party’s ability to focus on priorities.

The question now is whether the bill to scale back the president’s authority gets committee hearings and floor votes. That’s up to House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).

House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), the lead sponsor of the bill, said Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-Calif.) has “expressed interest.” Hoyer said he plans to talk to House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) about becoming a co-sponsor.

Royce told HuffPost later that Russia shouldn’t get any sanctions relief until it abides by the terms of the Ukraine peace process. He didn’t endorse Hoyer’s bill, but suggested he would advance a bill like it if Trump were to lift any sanctions before Russia got in line.

“If sanctions are eased prior to Russia’s full compliance with the Minsk agreements, I will certainly move legislation to keep them in place,” Royce said in a statement.

Asked if Ryan was on board, his spokeswoman, AshLee Strong, said: “The speaker said if there were efforts to weaken sanctions he would support measures to protect against that. He hasn’t endorsed any piece of legislation at this point as the sanctions are still in place.”

As for the Senate, McCain said McConnell hasn’t indicated to him if he supports the bill. McCain said he planned to meet with McConnell later in the day.

McConnell spokesman Don Stewart echoed Strong’s position. “I don’t know that he’s said anything new recently about it other than that the White House isn’t doing any sanctions relief, so there’s nothing for Congress to approve,” Stewart said.

Of course, if Ryan and McConnell gave a green light to the bill, lawmakers would have to pass it with a veto-proof majority, since Trump would likely veto it. Hoyer, for one, predicted it would have the votes to survive a veto. Asked if he’s reached out to administration officials about his proposal, he laughed.

“The White House is not necessarily focused on this matter at this point in time, I think it’s fair to say,” Hoyer said.

5 Things We Learned From Listening to Bill Gates and Warren Buffett - TIME

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5 Things We Learned From Listening to Bill Gates and Warren Buffett Posted: 28 Jan 2017 06:27 AM PST What makes Berkshire Hathaway’s Warren Buffet, who holds mega brands like Geico Auto Insurance and Kraft Heinz in his portfolio, such a great investor? He was “wired” for it, he says. “I’ve got the right temperament,” Buffet told journalist Charlie Rose on stage during a Jan. 27 event at Columbia University, from which he graduated in 1951. He was joined by fellow iconic business titan Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates for a wide-ranging question and answer session. Below are five key takeaways from the conversation. On why they’re optimistic about America’s future When asked what they’re most hopeful and worried about under the new Trump administration, both Gates and Buffett cited factors like America’s rich history of progress and innovation. “This country moves forward, and you can’t stop it,” Buffett said. “I say the luckiest person in the history of the world is a baby being born in this country today.” Gates, meanwhile, said it’s America’s entrepreneurial spirit and support for research that will help to continue driving innovation forward. “Whether it’s health or energy breakthroughs, every year that goes by we’re going to have more of those things,” he said. On investing Buffett shared three crucial factors he analyzes when deciding whether to invest in or acquire a company. “I’m looking for something that has a moat around it for a considerable period of time and for an honest and able management to run it,” he said. “And I’m looking for a purchase price that’s not excessive.” He added that it’s better to pay a little too much for a good business than to get a bargain on a company that doesn’t have much of a future. “The first question I ask myself when I look at a business, is it important and easy,” he said. “And a lot of [companies] don’t make it. I’m looking for the one-foot bars to step over versus the eight-foot bars to jump over.” On career advice and taking risks Gates enrolled in Harvard in the fall of 1973, but dropped out just two years later to found Microsoft. But that didn’t feel like much of a gamble, he says. “As the chip came along and made [the computer] mainstream, it became very obvious that something dramatic was going to happen,” said Gates. “So my passion, my hobby, that coincided in a nice way. I never felt it was risky.” Buffett’s advice? Find the job you would want if you didn’t have to work. “Don’t sleepwalk through life,” he said. “You really want to be doing what you love. And you can’t necessarily find it on your first job, but don’t give up until you find it.” On the impact of automation in the workplace Between the decline in manufacturing jobs and an increased focus on self-driving cars among auto and tech firms, automation and its effect on workers has become a contentious topic of debate. Buffett believes technology that makes us more productive will only benefit society, but he says job displacement is an issue that must be acknowledged. “If one person could push a button and turn out everything we turned out now, is that good for the world or bad for the world?” he said. “But people who fall by the wayside through no fault of their own should still get the chance to participate in that prosperity, and that’s where the government comes in.” On the importance of personal relationships When asked about how to distinguish the relationships one should foster from the ones to abandon throughout life, Buffett reiterated how critical it is to grow close with people you admire. “You will move in the direction of the people you associate with,” he said. “You really want to associate with the people that are better than yourself.” Gates largely agreed, saying it’s important to invest in friends that bring out the best in you. “Some friends challenge you about things you’re doing, and that level of intimacy is great,” he said. “I was so obsessed with work I didn’t invest [in friendships] in my 20s and 30s as much as I should have.”

The One Thing Americans Get Right About Retirement Saving - TIME Business

The One Thing Americans Get Right About Retirement Saving Posted: 15 Feb 2017 08:00 AM PST Americans get one thing right when it comes to retirement saving: They would like Warren Buffett to be their personal advisor. That shows they are paying attention to personal finance on one level. But they display a lot of gaps otherwise, new research shows. In general, workers have no idea how much they need to save before calling it quits; they want to live a long life in retirement but are financially ready for only a short one; and they know they should save more but don’t. These are among the discouraging findings in a report released Wednesday by Bank of America Merrill Lynch and aging consultant Age Wave. Half of those past age 50 and still at work say they have no positive role models when it comes to financial planning, the report finds. Many are flying blind. Maybe that’s why they like the idea of enlisting the world’s most famous moneyman as their personal advisor. Asked to choose from among seven “famous financially successful people” to be their “ideal hypothetical advisor,” 67% chose Berkshire Hathaway chief Buffett, who has lived modestly, given vast sums to charity and is worth $75 billion, according to Forbes. Also on the list of choices (respondents could pick more than one) were financial advisor and writer Suze Orman (selected by 38%), Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg (34%), Oprah Winfrey (28%), CNBC’s Jim Cramer (17%), Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen (9%) and Beyonce (7%). I’m not sure why anyone other than Buffett would get a vote. But the order here is probably close to what it should be. Read more: Bow Down to These 5 Money Lessons from Beyonce Retirement is the most expensive purchase most people will ever make, costing 2.5 times more than the average home, the report finds. It places the average home value at $278,000 and the cost of retirement at $739,000. Both cost more than raising a child ($245,000). This is an interesting way to look at retirement—as a purchase as opposed to a life phase. It’s especially useful at a time when traditional pensions and guaranteed lifetime income are in short supply. Retirees increasingly will purchase this income through annuities. Most people say they want to live to age 90, the report finds. Yet only 27% of pre-retirees past age 50 feel financially prepared to make their savings last even 10 years. Workers are saving an amount equal to just 5.7% of their after-tax income, compared to the 25% they say they should be saving, according to the report. Why the big gap? It seems clear that many individuals are simply strapped. More than a third say they cannot save because they can barely afford their day-to-day expenses and the cost of paying down debt. But they are also confused about their options. Two-thirds say they find the language of finance difficult to understand. That contributes to low confidence with money matters—individuals are twice as likely to second-guess decisions related to personal finance as those related to work or health. One encouraging sign: When 401(k) plan sponsors are proactive about communicating the benefits of their plan, employees are much more likely to participate. The top trigger for saving, named by 46% of workers, is access to a tax-advantaged plan at work. The second most important trigger, named by 26%, is effective communication. The report also suggests that many people have some idea of how they might strengthen their finances, even if they aren’t doing that now. Here are some of the most common options that workers and retirees say they would consider: 90% say they would cut back on basic expenses to save more  79% say they would seek professional advice  77% say they would make better use of tax-advantaged accounts  70% say they would buy an annuity for lifetime income  66% say they would sell real estate or other personal property to raise cash to live on  64% say they would delay taking Social Security to get a higher monthly benefit  A smaller percentage say they would seek help from social services and one in four would consider filing for bankruptcy. If Buffett really was your advisor, he’d probably encourage you to start at the top of that list right now. It’s easy to dream about his billions. But even he started modestly and bulked up his net worth over many years.