Top News Stories for Today – Feb 9, 2019
Top News Stories for Today – Feb 7, 2019
Possible wrongdoing by Trump inaugural committee
The Trump inaugural appears to have overpaid for space at Trump’s Washington hotel, a possible violation of the law. Federal prosecutors are probing the festivities. A spokesman confirmed that the nonprofit 58th Presidential Inaugural Committee paid the Trump International Hotel a rate of $175,000 per day for event space — in spite of internal objections at the time that the rate was far too high. If the committee is deemed by auditors or prosecutors to have paid an above-market rate, that could violate tax laws prohibiting self-dealing, according to experts.
Tax law prohibits nonprofits from paying inflated prices to entities that are owned by people who also control or influence the nonprofit’s activities. ProPublica
Virginia deputy Governor faces new accuser
A second woman has come forward to accuse the deputy governor of scandal-plagued Virginia of sexual assault. Meredith Watson alleges Lt Governor Justin Fairfax raped her in 2000 when they were both students at Duke University in North Carolina.
Lt. Governor Fairfax, a Democrat, has denied the latest allegation, saying he is the victim of a smear campaign. The governor of Virginia and state’s attorney general are meanwhile both embroiled in racism rows. Fairfax’s first accuser, Vanessa Tyson, came forward last week to allege he forced her to perform oral sex on him in his hotel room at the Democratic party convention in Boston in 2004. After the second woman’s accusation, prominent Virginia and national Democrats are calling on Fairfax to resign. BBC, CNN
Afghan peace possible before July elections
The top U.S. negotiator in peace talks with Afghanistan’s Taliban leaders says he hopes a peace agreement can be achieved before Afghanistan’s next set of elections just five months away. Zalmay Khalilzad, U.S. special representative for Afghanistan reconciliation, spoke Friday to an audience at the United States Institute of Peace in Washington.
Khalilzad said he was hopeful a peace deal could be finalized before Afghanistan’s presidential elections in July, but warned that there remained “a lot of work” to do. VOA
WH may miss Khashoggi report deadline
The Trump administration signaled Friday that it might not meet a deadline to tell Congress whether it intended to sanction anyone for the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Last fall, the Senate gave President Donald Trump 120 days — until the end of the day Friday, Feb. 8 — to determine who was responsible for the death of Khashoggi, who entered the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul in October and wasn’t seen again. A senior administration official said Friday that the president has the ability to decline to act on congressional committee requests when appropriate. VOA
Amazon reconsidering NY headquarters
Amazon is said to be reconsidering its plans to open up a new campus in New York City’s Long Island City neighborhood after facing backlash from local residents, according to a Washington Post report on Friday. The report, which cited unnamed sources, said Amazon executives have had discussions recently to rethink the company’s plans for New York and consider alternatives.
Amazon selected New York City and Northern Virginia in November to split duty as its second headquarters (nicknamed HQ2) after a year-long search. Each city was expected to have more than 25,000 workers over time. CNN
Whitaker testifies not interfered with Mueller probe
Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker testified on Friday before the House Judiciary Committee, and insisted he has “not interfered in any way” with Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into the Trump campaign’s involvement with Russian election interference. He did not directly answer Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler’s question about whether he has “ever been asked to approve any action or request to be taken by the special counsel.”
He told the committee he has “not talked to the president about the special counsel’s investigation.” Whitaker appeared on Capitol Hill after saying on Thursday he would not testify without assurance that he would not be subpoenaed; the committee preemptively authorized a subpoena but said it not be used if Whitaker answered questions. Whitaker, who was not Senate-confirmed, has faced criticism for his decision not to recuse himself from Mueller’s probe after publicly questioning its validity. CNN via The Week