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Did the President request that a foreign leader and government initiate investigations to benefit the President’s personal political interests in the United States, including an investigation related to the President’s political rival and potential opponent in the 2020 US presidential election? Did the President – directly or through agents – seek to use the power of the Office of the President and other instruments of the federal government in other ways to apply pressure on the head of state and government of Ukraine to advance the President’s personal political interests, including by leveraging an Oval Office meeting desired by the President of Ukraine or by withholding US military assistance to Ukraine? Did the President and his Administration seek to obstruct, suppress or cover up information to conceal from the Congress and the American people evidence about the President’s actions and conduct?
Jo Freeman writes: Michael Barone has been studying American politics for most of his 75 years and is very impressed with the two major parties; he repeatedly says that the Democratic Party (founded in 1832) is the oldest party in the world and the Republican Party (founded in 1854) is the third oldest. Both have been frequently challenged. Both recovered from near-death experiences. The Democratic Presidential candidate won only 34 percent of the popular vote in 1920 and the Republican candidate won a little over 36 percent in 1936. Both are alive and kicking. If you like political history, you will enjoy this book. And if you get a chance to hear Barone lecture, don’t pass it up. He’s entertaining as well as informative.
On October 9, 2019, the gallery of the Hampton Roads Naval Museum opened to the public. Many who have visited before will recognize the familiar displays depicting the Revolutionary War through the Civil War. Everything else has changed. The immersive exhibit touches on the Navy’s role during the Vietnam War, incorporating new artifacts along with oral histories from area veterans. Editor's Note: November 11, Today in History: 1920 - Lenah S. Higbee becomes the first woman to be awarded the Navy Cross for her service as a nurse in World War I
Highlights of the exhibition include Neuville’s views of the Hudson and Mohawk rivers, street scenes of her neighborhood (now known as Tribeca), a watercolor documenting an “Indian War Dance” performed for President Monroe, and portraits of subjects ranging from Indigenous Americans to immigrant students at a Manhattan school founded by the Neuvilles. The exhibition opens with Neuville’s miniature self-portrait that was likely created for her husband to carry on his travels.
Pursuant to this resolution, and consistent with the Committee’s rules and longstanding bipartisan practice, the Committee has begun preparing transcripts from the impeachment inquiry for public release, which includes a thorough, nonpartisan security review to protect classified and other sensitive information. As part of this process, the Committee is redacting (1) personally identifiable information; (2) the names of non-senior Executive Branch personnel and Intelligence Community employees; (3) the names of committee staff who did not ask questions or make on-the-record statements; and (4) classified or potentially classified information or other sensitive information not pertinent to the subject of the impeachment inquiry.
One of our board members, Walter Isaacson, recently published a biography of Leonardo da Vinci. A half a millennium ago, da Vinci wrote: “I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do.” Da Vinci was an artist, engineer, mathematician, inventor, scientist, musician, architect, writer – a Renaissance man, sure. But a doer. My kind of guy. We can’t all have da Vinci’s genius. But we can all learn from his drive and the emphasis he placed on action. That’s a big reason why I first ran for mayor in 2001: I was tired of seeing paralysis where progress was possible, especially on public education... “I always believe that tomorrow will be better than today. But I’m also a realist, and I know that believing and hoping won’t make it so. Doing is what matters.”
“Ambassador Taylor’s testimony lays bare how this shadow foreign policy channel pursued by the President’s agent, Rudy Giuliani, with the assistance of Ambassadors Sondland and Volker, placed immense pressure on the Ukrainian government to accomplish the President’s goal. Ambassador Taylor makes clear why this military aid and continued bipartisan support for Ukraine are so critically important — and why these efforts to undermine U.S. foreign policy for domestic political reasons were so damaging. We look forward to his public testimony.”
Today, Rep. Adam B. Schiff, the Chairman of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Rep. Eliot L. Engel, the Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and Rep. Carolyn Maloney, the Acting Chairwoman of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, released the transcripts of former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie “Masha” Yovanovitch and former Senior Advisor to the Secretary of State Ambassador P. Michael McKinley. The three Chairs issued the following statement announcing today’s releases: “Ambassadors Yovanovitch and McKinley’s testimony also demonstrates the contamination of U.S. foreign policy by an irregular back channel that sought to advance the President’s personal and political interests, and the serious concerns that this activity elicited across our government.
Top Secret: From Ciphers to Cyber Security reveals the rich personal and technological stories that have underpinned secret communications over the course of a century. The exhibition features over 100 objects including never-before-seen historical technology, hand-written documents and declassified files from the collections of GCHQ and the Science Museum Group. Visitors can hear from the individuals carrying out top secret work to defend against terror attacks and serious crime, and discover the challenges of maintaining digital security in the modern age.
Elaine Soloway Writes: While I will describe my attempts, along with my loved ones' antics and my lifelong efforts to become a calm and confident swimmer, perhaps you'll agree that Synchronized Flopping can be a metaphor for Parenting: sometimes we accomplish it perfectly; i.e. Esther Williams upside down in the water, and resurfacing with her makeup and smile intact. Other times, we are out-of-our-depth, looking foolish, and gasping for air. This year, for my event that I tagged "birthday/housewarming/pool party," I was sans spouse in my 672-foot apartment. Plans were in place: my daughters would be footing the bill, my friend Jani would serve as my P.A. (Hollywood talk for Personal Assistant), but the details — like the guest towels — were on my mushrooming to-do list.
Religious-based hate crimes are on the rise on America’s college campuses, according to data from the Departments of Education and Justice. The Department of Justice offers publications, webpages, and educational activities to help colleges and campus law enforcement monitor and address these crimes. However, much of DOJ’s information is outdated and difficult to find in one place. In addition, many colleges are unaware of what resources are available. We recommended that DOJ update, centralize, and share its information to make it easier to use.
Editor's Note: Although our former company funds part of our health expenses as retirees, not all is covered nor funded. Therefore, we too, have to explore parts of our plan for explanations, changes, lowering costs and other aspects. Open enrollment for the Federal and most state marketplaces begins Friday, Nov. 1, 2019 and ends on Sunday, Dec. 15, 2019. Organizations assisting consumers are encouraged to link to the Kaiser Family Foundation's FAQ web page.Designed to help consumers and the navigators, brokers and others who assist them, the FAQs cover a wide range of topics including eligibility for subsidies, requirements for health coverage and information about health plans offered through state ACA marketplaces.
Margaret Cullison writes: Mom baked regularly, working at the much-used enamel table in the kitchen. When I came home from school in the afternoon to find her there, I'd sit at the table and watch her work, telling her the events of my day. She always made small cookies, dainty enough to serve her friends when they stopped by for impromptu coffee and a chat. Mom also offered cookies and coffee to anyone doing work in the house or yard, and they probably wished for larger cookies!
Despite graduating at the top of her law school class, Ginsburg struggled to find a job. Title VII had not been enacted, anti-discrimination measures were not yet part of employment law, and firms were reticent to hire women. In law school, she routinely saw sign-up sheets for job interviews that explicitly said “Men only.” “Very few firms were willing to take a chance on a woman and no firm was ready to engage a mother,” said Ginsburg, who landed a judicial clerkship only through the diligent efforts of a professor-mentor. When she joined Rutgers’ law faculty in 1963, the Equal Pay Act had just been passed — but was widely ignored. When notified of her paltry salary, Ginsburg asked how much a man with similar experience was paid.
“In an instant I realized one of the key pillars of our strong support for Ukraine was threatened,” Mr. Taylor said in his testimony. Background: Chargé d’Affaires, a.i. of the United States Embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine. During the Arab Spring, he oversaw assistance and support to Egypt, Tunisia, Libya and Syria at the State Department. He served as the U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine from 2006 to 2009. He also served in Jerusalem as the U.S. Government’s representative to the Mideast Quartet, which facilitated the Israeli disengagement from Gaza and parts of the West Bank. He oversaw reconstruction in Iraq from 2004 to 2005, and served in Kabul as coordinator of international and U.S. assistance to Afghanistan from 2002 to 2003. Ambassador Taylor also coordinated U.S. assistance to the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. He earlier served on the staff of Senator Bill Bradley.
Tissot’s career spanned the English Channel, garnering commercial and critical success both in London and Paris. Though invited by Degas to exhibit with the Impressionists, Tissot declined. He turned to social events and balls, painting metropolitan life with great attention to detail, humor and pathos. Upon close study, even his most ebullient society pictures reveal rich and complex commentary on Belle Époque culture, religion, fashion, and politics.
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Wednesday and Friday; Website: https://intelligence.house.gov/; First Open Hearings of the Impeachment Inquiry Into President Donald J. Trump
Jo Freeman's Review of Michael Barone's How America’s Political Parties Change (And How They Don’t)
