A recent Time Magazine piece, "Why the Mueller Report Might Disappoint Almost Everybody," states, "It is impossible to know what his conclusions will be. But after so much speculation, one outcome seems likely: Mueller will disappoint just about everyone — especially President Trump's critics. And it won't be his fault." Now, House Democrats are ramping up their probe against Trump, demanding documents from more than 80 people and institutions affiliated with him. Are the Democrats continuing to try and take us down a rabbit hole?
A plan to circumvent the Electoral College is gaining momentum among blue states after Democrats suffered two crushing defeats in presidential elections over the past two decades. The plan has been given new impetus after Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) said this week that he will sign a bill to have his state become the 12th state, along with the District of Columbia, to join the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. The states making up the compact, which already include New York, Illinois, and all the New England states except for New Hampshire, would commit to awarding their electoral votes to whoever wins the popular vote nationally, regardless of the results in the Electoral College.
The US military has deployed its most advanced air and missile defense system to Israel for the first time. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says, "The American THAAD system is considered among the most advanced systems in the world, and together with our defense systems, we are stronger in dealing with threats, close or distant, emanating from all areas of the Middle East," The US military said the decision to rapidly move the THAAD system to Israel was intended "as a demonstration of the United States' continued commitment to Israel's regional security." Meanwhile, Rep. Ilhan Omar is being attacked by both Democrats and Republican for questioning the US' loyalty to Israel. Responding to backlash over the weekend, she wrote, "I have not mischaracterized our relationship with Israel, I have questioned it, and that has been clear from my end." Pelosi and other senior Democrats are drafting a resolution to address the controversy. What's really going on?
Opposition leader Juan Guaidó returned to Venezuela after a 10-day absence, under threats of arrest as he attempts to carry out the US-backed campaign to push out democratically elected President Nicolás Maduro. According to the Washington Post, "The United States and other countries have warned Maduro against detaining the opposition leader, who has been recognized by much of the world as Venezuela's interim president." If Venezuela is a sovereign state, please explain how the US is not in violation of Article 3 of the Organization of American States Charter, which states, "e. Every State has the right to choose, without external interference, its political, economic and social system and to organize itself in the way best suited to it, and has the duty to abstain from intervening in the affairs of another State." Interference by the US and other countries also entails violations of Articles 1 and 2 of the UN Charter, as well as articles 19 and 20 of the OAS Charter. What does this mean for the politics of the situation and for the people of Venezuela going forward?
GUESTS:
Greg Palast - Award-winning investigative reporter featured in The Guardian, Nation Magazine, Rolling Stone Magazine, BBC and other high profile media outlets. He covered Venezuela for The Guardian and BBC Television's "Newsnight." His BBC reports are the basis of his film, "The Assassination of Hugo Chavez."
Daniel Lazare — Journalist and author of three books: "The Frozen Republic," "The Velvet Coup" and "America's Undeclared War."
Alfred de Zayas - Professor of international law at the Geneva School of Diplomacy, former UN Independent Expert on International Order, former secretary of the UN Human Rights Committee and former chief of the Petitions Department at the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
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