The Daily Moth 2-14-2020
Hello, welcome to The Daily Moth! It is Friday, February 14. Happy Valentine’s Day! Ready for news?
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President Trump, Attorney General Barr, and Roger Stone
There were a lot of accusations that President Trump acted improperly when he tweeted his opinions on the Roger Stone sentencing recommendation. Let’s recap what led to this.
In November, Stone was convicted of seven felonies including lying to Congress and threatening a witness in a federal criminal case that was related to Wikileaks and the Mueller investigation. Stone is close with Trump and was once an advisor to his campaign in 2016.
On Monday, prosecutors recommended Stone to be sentenced up to nine years. On Tuesday, President Trump tweeted that it was a horrible and a very unfair situation. A short time later the Department of Justice, led by Attorney General Bill Barr, recommended a lower sentence. The timing made it seem like Trump was able to change the outcome of Stone’s case.
All four federal prosecutors in Stone’s case withdrew from the case in an apparent display of protest.
Attorney General Barr said in an interview with ABC News yesterday that Trump has never asked him to do anything in a criminal case, but said Trump’s statements and tweets about the DOJ and pending cases makes it impossible for (Barr) to do his job and to assure others that they are acting with integrity. Barr did say that he thinks a nine-year sentence was excessive.
Trump tweeted this morning that he has the legal right to ask the attorney general to do something in a criminal case but he has so far chosen not to.
So, that’s what happened with Trump and the DOJ. Stone is scheduled to be sentenced on February 20.
https://apnews.com/db64d4eaf5f65604cb147645e822a262
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1228311415192215553
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/sentencing-approaches-roger-stone-turns-mob-lawyer/story?id=68973648
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Coronavirus (COVID-19) updates
Here is the latest news with the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
At least 1,380 people have died from the virus — almost all of them in China, mostly in the Hubei Province, which is where Wuhan is in. One person died in Hong Kong, one in the Philippines, and one in Japan.
China said there are more than 63,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19.
More than 1,700 health workers became infected and six of them have died. Reports say there is not enough face masks or protective clothing.
A doctor named Li Wenliang — who warned his friends over a month ago that he noticed there was a virus going around and was punished by police — was one of doctors who died. Many looked at Li as a martyr and was angry with authorities.
The Chinese government said anyone who returns to Beijing, the capital city, from somewhere else would have to quarantine themselves — to stay isolated for 14 days. Authorities warned that if people did not comply, they would be looked at as lawbreakers.
A Diamond Princess cruise ship has been docked and quarantined near Yokohama, Japan since February 3 with about 3,700 people aboard now has at least 218 passengers and crew members infected.
There are at least 32 Americans on that ship with COVID-19. So far, there have been no deaths, but 10 people are in serious condition.
The Japanese government allowed at least 11 people who were elderly to leave the ship, but they were quarantined at a facility and will remain there until February 19 or later. Those on the cruise ship will also have to remain there until February 19 or later.
The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said the coronavirus is likely to stay beyond this season or beyond this year and could become like the seasonal flu, but the difference is that they don’t understand this virus.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/14/world/asia/china-coronavirus.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/07/world/asia/china-coronavirus-doctor-death.html
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/passengers-finally-begin-leave-coronavirus-hit-cruise-ship-japan-n1136856 https://
thehill.com/regulation/healthcare/483071-cdc-director-coronavirus-will-stay-with-us-beyond-this-year
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Two incidents of violence against Trump supporters
There have been two people arrested this week for being violent to Trump supporters.
The first — a 27-year-old man from Jacksonville, Florida, Gregory Timm, was arrested after police said he purposely crashed his SUV into a tent of Republican volunteers who were gathering vote registrations outside of a Walmart on Saturday. An arrest report said volunteers jumped out of the way before the SUV plowed into chairs and tables under a tent. Police were able to arrest Timm the next day.
Police said that Timm stated that he does not like President Trump and that “someone has to take a stand.” He was jailed on a $500,000 bail and was charged with two counts of aggravated assault on a person 65 years old or older and driving with a suspended license.
The Duval County Democratic Party said it was a “cowardly act of violence.” The GOP Duval County Chairman criticized Timm, saying “you should not have to fear physical injury or worse to express political beliefs in America.”
The second incident was in New Hampshire during the primary on Tuesday. A 34-year-old man, Patrick Bradley, was arrested and accused of slapping a 15-year-old Trump supporter who was volunteering at a tent with a “MAGA” hat on. Police said Bradley slapped the teenager in the face and then attacked two other people who tried to intervene. Bradley was jailed on a $5,000 bail and was charged with three misdemeanor counts of simple assault.
Yesterday Donald Trump Jr. tweeted about the attacks and said “what will it take for the (mainstream media) to finally call out leftwing violence?”
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/02/12/police-say-gregory-william-loel-timm-dislikes-trump/4735082002/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/02/14/trump-teen-slapped-new-hampshire/
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That is all for today. Have a wonderful weekend and stay with the light!