Dozens of people are reported killed after a new attack on two villages in central Mali, a part of the country experiencing a dire security situation amid an increase in tit-for-tat ethnic violence.
A local mayor told Reuters News Agency on Tuesday that unidentified gunmen on motorbikes attacked the villages of Yoro and Gangafani 2 the previous evening, killing at least 41 civilians.
The victims of the raids were mostly ethnic Dogons, according to Issiaka Ganame, the mayor of Yoro, where 24 people were killed. Another 17 died in Gangafani 2.
“About 100 unidentified armed men circulating on motos all of a sudden invaded Yoro and fired on the population,” Ganame said.
“Then they descended on the village of Gangafani 2, which is about 15km away.”
Separately, local judicial official Boubacar Sidiki Samake told the AFP news agency that Monday’s attacks in the two villages near the border with Burkina Faso had left “14 people dead according to a provisional toll”.
A Malian military source said as many as 40 people may have been killed.
No other information was immediately available.
The attack on the two villages compounds a desperate security situation in central Mali, where ethnic militias regularly slaughter civilians from rival groups.
The tit-for-tat violence in recent months has largely pitted Dogon hunters against Fulani herders. Attackers believed to be Fulani raided a Dogon village last week, killing at least 35 people.
In March, suspected Dogon militiamen killed more than 150 Fulani in two villages in central Mali, one of the worst acts of bloodshed in the country’s recent history.
At least 488 Fulani civilians died in attacks carried out in the central regions of Mopti and Segou between January 1, 2018, and May 16, 2019, according to the United Nationsmission in Mali (MINUSMA). In the same period, armed Fulanis had “caused 63 deaths” among civilians in the Mopti region.
President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita’s government has vowed to disarm the militias but has struggled to do so.
On Tuesday, two labour unions representing civil servants called on state administrators in the Mopti region, where most of the attacks have occurred, to leave their posts and decamp to the regional capital due to death threats.
“President Keita said he was going to disarm all the militias. We take note and await the disarmament of the militias and implementation of protection measures,” said Ousmane Christian Diarra, secretary-general of the National Syndicate of Civil Administrators.
Central Mali has in the past few years been overrun by fighters with links to al-Qaeda.
Violence by fighter groups has worsened almost every year since it first started in Mali in 2012 when rebel fighters and allied Tuareg rebels took over the north and advanced towards the capital, Bamako, until a French-led intervention pushed them back the following year.
Groups linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS) used central and northern Mali as a launch pad for growing numbers of attacks across the Sahel region and stoke tensions among different communities, despite the presence of thousands of French and regional troops, as well as UN peacekeepers.
The Atlanta Hawks are trying to move up in Thursday’s NBA draft, and they’re reportedly willing to part with multiple lottery picks to do so.
According to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, the Hawks “have been aggressive exploring trades packaging the No. 8 and 10 picks to move up in the draft. Their offer to the Knicks for the No. 3 pick was apparently rebuffed. The Pelicans are considering the possibility of trading the No. 4 pick for 8 and 10.”
One interesting subplot to consider is that the Knicks are reportedly working out guard Darius Garland on Wednesday, who is in “serious consideration for the No. 3 pick,” according toGivony. Per that report, “Minnesota, Boston and Chicago are teams looking at potentially trading up to No. 4 with Garland in mind.”
If the Knicks indeed select Garland, that would mean RJ Barrett—long considered the favorite to be the No. 3 overall pick—would slide to No. 4. If the Hawks have been trying to move up to both No. 3 and 4, it could be an indication that their primary focus during this year’s draft is coming away with Barrett, giving them a fascinating prospective young core of Barrett, Trae Young, John Collins and Kevin Huerter.
Of course, the Knicks working out Garland may not mean he’s moved above Barrett on their big board:
The Pelicans, meanwhile, remain a wild card in this year’s draft. There’s no doubt that they’ll select Duke superstar Zion Williamson with the top overall pick, but the No. 4 pick remains in flux.
If the board goes Williamson, Ja Morant and Barrett with the top three picks and the Pelicans keep the selection, they’ll have a choice to make. Do they go with a player like Garland—who has become the popular choice as the fourth best player in this draft—despite having a starting backcourt in Lonzo Ball and Jrue Holiday already locked in place? Or do they go with a player at a different position, like Jarrett Culver, DeAndre Hunter or Cam Reddish?
The other option, of course, is dealing the pick. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN has reported that the Pelicans want to flip the No. 4 pick for an “established, young All-Star.”
It’s unclear which players both fit that criteria and will actually be available. If the Washington Wizards were willing to entertain offers for Bradley Beal, for example, would a package built around the No. 4 pick, Brandon Ingram and other assets—perhaps even Ball—pique their interest?
The underlying theme here is that a whole lot is in play heading into Thursday’s draft, and much of it hinges on what happens with the third and fourth picks. That gives the Knicks and Pelicans a lot of bargaining power this week, and it seems likely that some big trades are coming.
The United States will maintain its pressure campaign on Iran and continue to deter aggression in the Gulf region, but does not want the conflict with Tehran to escalate, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Tuesday.
“We have been engaged in many messages, even this moment right here, communicating to Iran that we are there to deter aggression,” Pompeo told reporters at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida.
He travelled to the base after the Pentagon announced the deployment of an additional 1,000 US troops to the region.
Pompeo said he made the trip to visit commanders in Florida to ensure that Washington’s diplomatic and military efforts were coordinated.
“President [Donald] Trump does not want war and we will continue to communicate that message while doing the things that are necessary to protect American interests in the region,” he said. Both the US and Iran have previously said they do not seek war with each other.
“Now we need to make sure that we continue to do that so that we ultimately we get the opportunity to convince Iran that it’s not in their best interest to behave in this way,” Pompeo added.
He said the Trump administration would “do the right thing” as it relates to Iran, which is to make clear that the US is serious.
“We all have to remember this isn’t just two and a half years or five years this is 40 years of Iranian activity that has led us to this point,” Pompeo said.
Hormuz attacks
Fears of a confrontation between Iran and the US have grown since Washington blamed longtime foe Iran for last week’s attacks on two oil tankers near the strategic Strait of Hormuz shipping lane.
Washington has blamed Iran for a similar attack on May 12 off the coast of the United Arab Emirates.
Iran has vehemently denied any involvement, hinting that the US may have carried out the latest suspected attack in order to apply extra pressure on Tehran on top of the crippling sanctions it re-imposed over the past year.
Washington has tightened sanctions on Tehran and moved to cut its oil production to zero in the year since it exited a landmark multi-lateral accord between Iran and world powers. The deal offered Iran relief from global sanctions in exchange for curbs on its nuclear programme.
In an interview with Time magazine released on Tuesday, Trump said he was prepared to take military action to stop Tehran from having a nuclear bomb, but left open whether he would sanction the use of force to protect Gulf oil supplies.
He said the suspected attacks on tankers so far had “been very minor”.
Pompeo called on “every nation” to do its part to protect the shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz.
“The United States is prepared to do its part, but every nation that has a deep interest in protecting that shipping lanes so that energy can move around the world and support their economies,” he said.
The United Nations, European Union and several allies of the US and Iran have urged both sides to show restraint, with the UN warning that the world cannot afford a “major confrontation in the Gulf”.
Meanwhile on Tuesday, Trump announced that acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan had withdrawn from consideration to head the US military.
The US said the secretary of the Army, Mark Esper, will be named as the new acting defence secretary, Trump said.
Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan is leaving his post, President Donald Trump said in a tweet Tuesday. | M. Scott Mahaskey/POLITICO
President Donald Trump pulled the plug Tuesday on acting Defense Secretary Pat Shanahan’s long-stalled nomination to lead his Pentagon — culminating a period of limbo that included questions about Shanahan’s fitness for the job, his ties to his former employer Boeing, and a nearly decade-old allegation of domestic violence.
Shanahan subsequently announced that he is stepping down as deputy defense secretary — and took a swipe at recent media attention to his family’s troubled history.
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“I believe my continuing in the confirmation process would force my three children to relive a traumatic chapter in our family’s life and reopen wounds we have worked years to heal,” Shanahan said in a statement Tuesday afternoon. He added: “I would welcome the opportunity to be Secretary of Defense, but not at the expense of being a good father.”
Trump announced Shanahan’s withdrawal via Twitter, more than a month after announcing that the Boeing veteran had been his choice for the job. Trump also tweeted that Mark Esper, the secretary of the Army, will become acting defense secretary.
The end of Shanahan’s nomination ends a protracted and unprecedentedly long audition for the top job at the Pentagon, during which the White House offered no explanation for Trump’s failure to send the nomination papers to the Senate. In the interim, critics questioned the former Boeing executive’s lack of military experience, his extensive ties to industry, and complaints by his underlings that he tolerated White House intervention in the chain of command.
More recently, some news outlets started raising questions about unsubstantiated allegations of domestic assault that his then-wife, Kimberley, had made in August 2010 at their home in Seattle. Shanahan was never charged in that incident. Instead, Seattle police arrested his wife on accusations of striking him in the face and leaving him with a black eye and bloody nose, according to police and court records obtained by POLITICO.
Pat Shanahan became the acting secretary on Jan. 1 after Defense Secretary Jim Mattis resigned over Trump’s decision to pull all U.S. troops out of Syria.
In April, the Pentagon’s inspector general cleared Shanahan of allegations that he had favored Boeing in meetings at the Pentagon while bashing competitors such as Lockheed Martin. In January, POLITICO reported that he had referred to the F-35 program as “f—ed up” and held up Boeing as an example of a contractor that has its act together.
Shanahan also struggled in public, both on Capitol Hill and during overseas engagements. Aides have said Shanahan had a steep learning curve from his time as deputy secretary. And during a security conference in Munich in February, Shanahan came under fire from senators over Trump’s Syria policy.
On Friday, POLITICO quoted multiple current and former Defense Department officials who accused Shanahan of allowing national security adviser John Bolton to have outsized influence in the Pentagon. The sources, who asked not to be named, said Shanahan allows Bolton to call underlings within the department and said the acting secretary is overly deferential to the National Security Council staff because he wanted the job as secretary.
In a POLITICO interview, Shahanan talked up his relationship with the president, saying he’s able to work with Trump because both are business executives who focus on results.
“You have to know how to hit a curveball,” he said.
Trump announced his intention to nominate Shanahan on May 9, but as weeks dragged into months without an official nomination, questions arose as to whether Trump had soured on his pick. NBC News reported that during Trump’s recent trip to Europe for D-Day festivities, the president asked several people whether Shanahan was up to the job.
Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), a member of the Armed Services Committee that would have vetted the nomination, said Trump’s reported doubts raised uncertainty on the Hill about Shanahan’s fate.
“Certainly after the Normandy visit, we had a lot of question marks in our own head about … what is Shanahan’s status,” Kaine told POLITICO on Tuesday. “If the president’s talking to people during the Normandy trip about him, why’s that all about?”
Then this week, Yahoo News and USA Today published stories connecting the lack of nomination to reports that the FBI’s background check involved allegations during his 2010 divorce that he had assaulted his wife, who is now known as Kimberley Jordinson.
The incident was just part of a history of ugly incidents involving the couple, including a 2011 episode in which their 17-year-old son was arrested on charges of bludgeoning Jordinson with a baseball bat, fracturing her skull and elbow.
Jordinson was also arrested herself in Florida on unrelated charges of burglarizing a storage unit and smashing a former romantic partner’s Mercedes with a sledgehammer, according to documents obtained through public records requests.
Algeria‘s powerful army chief of staff Lieutenant General Ahmed Gaid Salah has branded those who oppose the military as enemies of the country, as protesters keep demanding the removal of the ruling elite that has run the state for decades.
The army is currently the main player in Algerian politics after longtime President Abdelaziz Bouteflika was forced to step down in early April in the wake of mass protests against his rule and the establishment.
Those with “grudges and animosity towards the army and its command … are undoubtedly enemies of Algeria,” a defence ministry statement on Tuesday quoted Gaid Salah as saying at a military base in the southwestern province of Bechar.
“Those who are knowingly trying to circumvent … terms of the constitution, do they realise what it means to suppress all state institutions?” he asked.
Large weekly demonstrations similar to those that led to Bouteflika’s exit have continued, with protesters demanding the fall of establishment insiders and the setting up of independent institutions.
Protesters are also now demanding the resignation of interim President Abdelkader Bensalah, a former head of the upper house of parliament, whom they see as a close ally of Bouteflika.
The authorities have postponed a presidential election previously planned for July 4 citing a lack of candidates. No new date for the vote has been set.
In the statement, Gaid Salah accused some parties of favouring a constitutional vacuum in order to extend the country’s political crisis.
He said a constitutional void would amount to “the destruction of the foundations of the Algerian national state.”
“It is unthinkable to proceed in the name of the people with the destruction of the achievements of the Algerian people, that is to say … the constitution.”
Corruption probes
Gaid Salah has urged the judiciary to speed up the prosecution of people suspected of involvement in corruption cases.
On Monday, a court in the capital, Algiers, ordered the detention of Mourad Eulmi, head of family-owned firm SOVAC, a partner of Germany’s Volkswagen AG, over suspected corruption. Eulmi has not commented on the allegations against him. VW has also not commented on the allegations against its Algerian partner.
On June 16, former Finance Minister Karim Djoudi had appeared before the Supreme Court to face questions about corruption accusations, according to state media.
Djoudi has not been charged but is facing investigations along with other senior figures associated with Bouteflika.
His hearing came days after the same court ordered the detention of former Prime Ministers Ahmed Ouyahia and Abdelmalek Sellal, as well as former Trade Minister Amara Benyounes for “dissipation of public funds and awarding illegal privileges”.
Bouteflika’s youngest brother, Said, and two former intelligence chiefs are also in custody accused of “harming the army’s authority and plotting against state authority”.
Other prominent businessmen have been jailed in Algiers pending the completion of corruption inquiries.
“When the National People’s Army was working with responsibility, self-denial and disinterestedness, some people … cunningly planned to appropriate public funds,” the statement quoted Gaid Salah as saying.
All-Star guard Kyrie Irving reportedly may be distancing himself from the Boston Celtics ahead of free agency.
According to Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe, Irving has “essentially ghosted” the Celtics and has had “little, if any, communication” with the organization in recent weeks.
If Irving declines the player option in his contract for 2019-20 as expected, he will become an unrestricted free agent this offseason after spending the previous two campaigns in Boston.
While early indications at the start of the 2018-19 season suggested Irving was poised to re-sign with the Celtics, things have become far less clear in recent months.
In October, Kyriesaidat an event for season ticket holders that he planned to re-sign with the Celtics: “I’ve shared it with some of my teammates as well as the organization as well as everyone else in Boston. If you guys will have me back, I plan on re-signing here next year.”
His tune changed a few months later, though, as he said, “Ask me July 1″ when asked in February if he still planned to remain in Boston, per Jay Kingof The Athletic.
The 27-year-old veteran was named an All-Star for the sixth time in 2018-19, and he finished with averages of 23.8 points, 6.9 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 48.7 percent from the field and 40.1 percent from beyond the arc.
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Although the one-time NBA champion was highly productive, Boston took a step back last season and was eliminated in the second round of the playoffs. The Celtics reached Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals the previous season despite both Irving and Gordon Hayward missing the entire playoffs due to injury.
Aside from Boston, Irving has been linked to several teams, including the Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers. SNY.tv’sIan Begley reported last week that teams in pursuit of Irving believe he favors signing with the Nets currently.
Brooklyn made the playoffs as the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference last season, but if it signs Irving, it may not retain restricted free agent D’Angelo Russell. That would leave Kyrie to lead a talented yet star-lacking group highlighted by Caris LeVert, Spencer Dinwiddie and Jarrett Allen.
In Boston, Irving would remain the top dog on a team that includes the likes of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Al Horford (if he opts in) and Hayward.
Boston, Brooklyn and New York are all viable options if Irving most desires to be the face of the franchise, but if winning a championship is at the top of his list, then perhaps reuniting with LeBron James in L.A. and joining the recently acquired Anthony Davis is a move Kyrie will consider.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski does not believe a Big Three of LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Kawhi Leonard with the Los Angeles Lakers is a likely scenario entering the 2019 offseason.
Appearing Tuesday on Get Up, Wojnarowski reported that Leonard’s decision in free agency will probably come down to re-signing with the Toronto Raptors or joining the Los Angeles Clippers:
“The reality is Kawhi Leonard’s focused on Los Angeles, but it’s the Clippers, not the Lakers. No. 1, they don’t have the money to sign him. And two, the idea of him being a third wheel on a team trying to create a superteam, that has not been Kawhi’s M.O. The Clippers are poised to be able to lure him from Toronto. This will be a Raptors-Clippers fight down to the end. He may take meetings with more teams; it’s not even certain he’d even take a meeting with the Lakers right now.”
Get Up @GetUpESPN
“Kawhi Leonard’s focus [is] on Los Angeles, but it’s the Clippers not the Lakers.”
Leonard led the Raptors to their first NBA championship in team history and was named the 2019 NBA Finals MVP in Toronto’s 4-2 series win over the Golden State Warriors.
The 27-year-old is a Riverside, California, native who has long been linked to a move to L.A. The Lakers are already viewed as a top title contender after reportedly acquiring Davis from the New Orleans Pelicans to play alongside James and Kyle Kuzma, but Leonard would make them the unquestioned favorite.
Even so, reports have placed the Clippers much higher on Leonard’s list than the Lakers for the past several months.
During the NBA Finals, Joe Vardonof The Athletic reported that the Clippers “feel confident” Leonard will listen to their pitch in free agency, but they also have concerns that he will remain with the Raptors. Now that Kawhi has won a championship in Toronto, the odds of re-signing may be even greater.
When taking the Raptors, Clippers and Lakers into consideration, it can be argued that the Lakers give Leonard the best chance to win a title next season and the Raptors give him the best opportunity to be the face of the franchise—and Toronto offers the best of both worlds.
Not only has Leonard already won it all in Toronto, but he is also the go-to guy on a strong team that is returning the likes of Kyle Lowry, Pascal Siakam, Serge Ibaka and Fred VanVleet.
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If Leonard does sign with the Clippers, it could have something to do with the allure of wanting to lead another team to its first championship. The difference between the Raptors and Clippers is that Kawhi would be heralded as a hometown hero if he does it in L.A.
Despite lacking a superstar, the Clippers took the Warriors to six games in the first round of the 2019 NBA playoffs. Adding Kawhi to a roster that already includes Lou Williams, Danilo Gallinari, Montrezl Harrell and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander would make the Clippers a major threat in the Western Conference, especially since the Warriors may be without both Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson next season.
The Lakers would have a true superteam if they were to sign Leonard, but Wojnarowski noted that they may look to fill out the rosters with some much-needed shooters instead. He specifically mentioned Seth Curry, Danny Green and JJ Redick as possible targets.
A Lakers team with James, Davis, Leonard and Kuzma would be tough to beat, but since they severely lack depth and shooting ability, missing out on Kawhi may not be such a bad thing for the organization.
A wave of one metre is expected to hit the coast, according to Japan’s meteorological agency [Katsumi Kasahara/AP]
Japan has issued a tsunami warning after a magnitude 6.8 earthquake hit off its northwestern coast.
There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties from the strong quake on Tuesday, which struck 85km northeast of the island of Honshu.
The Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami alert for the coasts of Ishikawa, Niigata and Yamagata prefectures and warned of a wave of one metre.
The seismic centre of the quake that hit the region at 10:22pm (13:22 GMT) was off the coast of Yamagata prefecture at a depth of about 10km, the agency said.
Japan is on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire where numerous world’s devastating earthquakes are recorded as well as volcanic eruptions.
On March 11, 2011, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake struck under the Pacific Ocean resulting in tsunami that caused widespread damage and claimed thousands of lives.
That earthquake also sent three reactors into meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear plant, causing Japan’s worst post-World War II disaster and the most serious accident since Chernobyl in 1986.
PRESIDENTDONALD TRUMP will officially launch his 2020 campaign in Orlando tonight. He does so amid signs of unease in his own camp about his electoral prospects, despite what any other president would be touting as an enviable record. There are two ways to view the political climate in Trump’s Washington:
— THE PRO-TRUMP WORLD: As the president and his allies see it, a second term should be his for the taking. After all, the economy is solid — inflation is low and growth is chugging along, despite some warning signs. The United States has not entered any new wars on Trump’s watch, and America is even speaking to old adversaries. His base is with him, and tonight’s rally in Florida will draw tens of thousands of people in a critical part of a crucial 2020 state. Despite withering pressure from investigations on the Hill, at DOJ and in New York, Republicans are not abandoning the president.
— THE ANTI-TRUMP WORLD: Trump’s foes are just as certain he’s got a losing record. Trade wars with Mexico and China are hurting farmers in the Midwest and pushing up prices for everyone else. A surge of migrants from Central America has swamped the border. The United States could be dragged into a war with Iran at any moment, and talks with North Korea have stalled. Internal Trump polling shows the president trailing in key battleground states, with numbers so bad Trump fired some of his campaign’s pollsters. He’s losing to almost every single Democratic candidate. Impeachment looms on the horizon, and should that happen, some Republicans could begin abandoning him to save themselves.
AND YET, here’s the thing about Donald Trump: After he shocked the world in 2016, nobody dares predict which of the above narratives will prevail in 2020. Democrats could easily nominate a weak challenger. And unlike last time, he now has his party behind him and the trappings of incumbency on his side. With the election 16 months away, anyone who can say for sure that he’s doomed — or destined to return — is either clairvoyant … or smoking something.
THE MAIN EVENT … ORLANDO SENTINEL: “Trump supporters line up 42 hours early for Orlando campaign rally at Amway Center,” by Caroline Glenn and David Harris: “With tents, sleeping bags and coolers of water in tow, Donald Trump supporters began lining up early Monday for Tuesday’s campaign rally in Orlando, nearly two full days before the event. …
“The line had grown to about 50 as of 3 p.m. By 9:30 p.m., the line ballooned to about 250, with people snaked around to Central Boulevard. Around the same Trump tweeted there were ‘thousands of people already lined up.’” Orlando Sentinel
Good Tuesday morning.
MOOD MUSIC … via WaPo’s Damian Paletta and Heather Long: “Trump has threatened to escalate trade conflicts with China, Mexico, the European Union and Japan, spooking business leaders and leading some to pull back investment. Similarly, budget and debt-ceiling talks with congressional leaders from both parties have sputtered, raising the possibility of another government shutdown in October.
“The uncertainty — and a cooling global economy — led JPMorgan Chase on Monday to predict that there was a 45 percent chance the U.S. economy would enter a recession in the next year, up from 20 percent at the beginning of 2018.” WaPo
PETER BAKER SETS THE TABLE on NYT A12: “As President Trump kicks off his campaign for a second term on Tuesday with an eardrum-pounding, packed-to-the-rafters rally in Florida, no one doubts that he is the dominant force in the arena today, the one defining the national conversation as no president has done in generations.
“But the coming election is shaping up as a test — not just of the man but of his country. Was Mr. Trump’s victory the last time around a historical fluke or a genuine reflection of America in the modern age? Will the populist surge that lifted him to the White House run its course or will it further transform a nation and its capital in ways that will outlast his presidency? What kind of country do Americans really want at this point?
“Whatever voters thought about Mr. Trump in 2016, they have now had more than enough time to take their measure of him, and their judgment arguably will say more about the mood of the world’s last superpower than whatever roll-the-dice decision may have been made last time. Mr. Trump promised to blow up the system; voters will decide if more disruption is still needed.” NYT
WAPO’S NICK MIROFF and MARIA SACHETTI: “Trump vows mass immigration arrests, removals of ‘millions of illegal aliens’ starting next week”: “President Trump said in a tweet Monday night that U.S. immigration agents are planning to make mass arrests starting ‘next week,’ an apparent reference to a plan in preparation for months that aims to round up thousands of migrant parents and children in a blitz operation across major U.S. cities.
“‘Next week ICE will begin the process of removing the millions of illegal aliens who have illicitly found their way into the United States,’ Trump wrote, referring to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. ‘They will be removed as fast as they come in.’
“Large-scale ICE enforcement operations are typically kept secret to avoid tipping off targets. In 2018, Trump and other senior officials threatened the mayor of Oakland, Calif., with criminal prosecution for alerting city residents that immigration raids were in the works. … U.S. officials with knowledge of the preparations have said in recent days that the operation was not imminent, and ICE officials said late Monday night that they were not aware that the president planned to divulge their enforcement plans on Twitter.” WaPo
— REALITY CHECK: There’s no way ICE can deport “millions” of people in the near term. In fiscal year 2012, its peak, the agency deported 409,849 individuals. In FY 2017, the first for which we have partial data under Trump, that number was 226,119. And, as NBC’s Julia Ainsley explains, “[I]nterior removals have been down across the country for a simple reason: ICE is running out of space due to the influx of immigrants coming across the border.”
ON THE OTHER SIDE … BIDEN POOL REPORT, from WSJ’s Ken Thomas at 9:56 p.m.: “Prior to Mr. Biden’s arrival, around 6 p.m., about two dozen climate change demonstrators gathered outside the Upper East Side home of Jim Chanos, the president and founder of Kynikos Associates, a prominent short-selling investment firm. …
“The pool was escorted to the dining room of Mr. Chanos’ penthouse apartment, where guests mingled, sipped wine and chatted at an adjoining outdoor terrace. Artwork lined the walls of the apartment. … He said he appreciated the donors for ‘writing a check to allow me to compete. And you are putting me in a position to be able to compete nationally.’”
NUGGET OF NEWS: Biden said he had 360,000 donors who have given an average of $55. That comes to $19.8 million in contributions for his campaign.
BTW … REPUBLICANS FOR BIDEN? … “Guests spotted by the pool included: Former Sen. Al D’Amato, R-N.Y.; Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y.; Former Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin, who served as a VA undersecretary for health during the Obama administration and as VA secretary for President Trump until 2018; billionaire businessman John Catsimatidis; Robert Wolf, founder of 32 Advisors and a top fundraiser for President Obama’s campaigns; Michael Kempner, CEO of MWWPR and a prominent Democratic fundraiser and numerous other attendees.”
A ZINGER FROM ELIZABETH WARREN (@ewarren) at 10:28 p.m.: “I don’t spend time at fancy fundraisers. Instead, I spend my time meeting voters and thanking grassroots donors who chip in what they can. Donate $3 to my campaign, and you might just get a call from me to thank you!”
LINE OF THE DAY … BURGESS EVERETT and HEATHER CAYGLE: “The [DNC] chairman is the face of presidential debate rules that will allow a meditation guru to take the stage next week while a red state Western governor watches on TV. Against that backdrop, a collection of Democratic lawmakers are still aggravated with [DNC chair Tom] Perez after he yielded to the party’s base last year and agreed to dilute their power as superdelegates — a problem Perez is still trying to defuse in private meetings with Democrats.” POLITICO
COMING ATTRACTIONS: The SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE has this hearing today: “The President’s 2019 Trade Policy Agenda and the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.” U.S. Trade Rep. Robert Lighthizer will testify at 10:15 a.m. in 215 Dirksen.
IMPEACHMENT WATCH — FRESHMAN REP. KATIE PORTER (D-Calif.) came out for impeachment in a video she posted online. People will make a lot of this, considering she beat Mimi Walters in an R+3 seat. …
… BUT KEEP THIS IN MIND: Just two Democrats in Republican seats have called for impeachment proceedings. The other is Rep. Tom Malinowski, a former Obama State Department official who represents New Jersey’s 7th District.
FOR YOUR RADAR — “Pentagon sending 1,000 more troops as tensions with Iran grow,” by Bryan Bender: “The Pentagon is dispatching an additional 1,000 troops to the Middle East in response to recent attacks on oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman that the United States blames on Iran.
“‘The recent Iranian attacks validate the reliable, credible intelligence we have received on hostile behavior by Iranian forces and their proxy groups that threaten United States personnel and interests across the region,’ acting Defense Secretary Pat Shanahan said in a statement announcing the deployment. The additional forces are ‘for defensive purposes to address air, naval, and ground-based threats in the Middle East,’ the statement added.” POLITICO
THE BIG PICTURE — NAHAL TOOSI: “Iran tests Trump’s desire to actually strike a new deal”: “President Donald Trump is at a make-or-break moment with Iran. Tehran said Monday it will soon take steps that likely violate the 2015 nuclear deal Trump himself abandoned, an announcement that came just days after the U.S. accused the Islamist-led country of sabotaging international oil tankers. The Pentagon announced Monday that it is sending 1,000 more troops to the Middle East for ‘defensive purposes.’ In Europe, meanwhile, leaders are starting to acknowledge that they may have to walk away from the nuclear agreement or devise a new one.
“The confluence of events will test Trump’s weak appetite for military action, his ability to rally allies he has frequently snubbed and his seriousness about actually striking the better deal with the Iranians that he once promised. Along the way, Trump must win over officials well-aware of his history of misstatements and uneasy about relying on U.S. intelligence when a potential new Middle East war could result.” POLITICO
KUSHNER SPLATS EGG ON TRUMP’S FACE ON THE WORLD STAGE, via Barak Ravid in Axios: “White House will not invite Israeli officials to Bahrain conference”: “The White House has decided not to invite the Israeli Minister of Finance Moshe Kahlon or other Israeli government officials to the Bahrain conference in Manama on June 25, where it plans to launch the economic part of the Trump administration’s Israeli-Palestinian peace plan, U.S. officials told me.
“Why it matters: This is a major setback for the White House’s vision for the much-anticipated Bahrain conference, which will now take place without Israeli or Palestinian officials.” Axios
THE JUICE …
— IN 2018, Texas GOP Rep. KENNY MARCHANT won reelection by 3 percentage points — his closest margin in 14 years in Congress. Marchant’s district, which is north of Dallas and Fort Worth, is shifting, strategists in both parties say, and Democrats are newly competitive. KIM OLSON, a veteran, is running against Marchant in 2020, attempting to meld her military background with an anti-Trump message. OLSON closes out her video — which is primarily about her military service — saying she is running because “this president is attacking everything we’ve fought for over the years.”
OLSON lost a 2018 statewide race for agriculture commissioner by 5 points, so she’s a practiced candidate. But 2020 is a presidential year, and Marchant won by nearly 17 points in 2016. This seat could be one to watch. Video
— WASHINGTON INC.: DOUG THORNELL, OREN SHUR and EMILY CAMPBELL will be the new heads of SKDKNICKERBOCKER’S political consulting department. The trio will lead an expansion of the firm’s political advertising work.
TRUMP’S TUESDAY — The president and first lady Melania Trump will leave the White House at 3:50 p.m. en route to Orlando. Trump will speak at a 2020 reception at 7:30 p.m. and campaign kickoff event at the Amway Center at 8 p.m. Afterward, they will leave for Miami to spend the night in Doral, Fla.
KNOWING KELLY KNIGHT CRAFT — “Trump’s U.N. nominee was ‘absent’ ambassador,” by Lauren Gardner: “President Trump’s nominee to be ambassador to the United Nations – current U.S. ambassador to Canada Kelly Craft – was frequently absent from her post in Ottawa, raising questions about her level of engagement with the job, according to officials in both the United States and Canada.
“State Department officials acknowledge her frequent travels outside of Canada, but said many of the trips were related to the new North American trade deal. Her absences from her official post are likely to be an issue in her confirmation hearing, which is now scheduled for Wednesday.
“Federal Aviation Administration records obtained under the Freedom of Information Act by POLITICO show that a private jet registered to Craft’s husband and used by the ambassador made 128 flights between the United States and Canada during a 15-month span of her tenure in Ottawa, the equivalent of a roundtrip once a week.
“Some of the trips correspond with dates of events Craft attended in her home state of Kentucky – such as the Kentucky Derby and a media interview at a University of Kentucky basketball center named for her husband Joe Craft, a coal billionaire – but neither she nor he, through their spokespeople, would confirm how many of the flights involved her travel.” POLITICO
THE INVESTIGATIONS … “Paul Manafort Seemed Headed to Rikers. Then the Justice Department Intervened,” by NYT’s William Rashbaum and Katie Benner: “[L]ast week, Manhattan prosecutors were surprised to receive a letter from the second-highest law enforcement official in the country inquiring about Mr. Manafort’s case. The letter, from Jeffrey A. Rosen, Attorney General William P. Barr’s new top deputy, indicated that he was monitoring where Mr. Manafort would be held in New York.
“And then, on Monday, federal prison officials weighed in, telling the Manhattan district attorney’s office that Mr. Manafort, 70, would not be going to Rikers.
“Instead, he will await his trial at a federal lockup in Manhattan or at the Pennsylvania federal prison where he is serving a seven-and-a-half-year sentence for wide-ranging financial schemes, according to people with knowledge of the matter.” NYT
IMMIGRATION FILES … WAPO’S MARIA SACCHETTI inCiudad Juárez, Mexico:“‘The American Dream has turned into hell’: In test of a deterrent, Juarez scrambles before U.S. dumps thousands of migrants”:“This gritty, industrial city on the banks of the murky Rio Grande is bracing for the Trump administration to dump thousands of migrants from Central America and other lands here under a new agreement to curb mass migration to the United States. But frantic Mexican officials say they likely cannot handle the rapid influx, as they are desperate for more shelter space, food and supplies.
“With days to prepare, a top state official said he expects a fivefold increase in the number of migrants who will be sent to Juarez as a result of the expansion of the Trump administration’s Migrant Protection Protocols. The program, which is under court challenge, sends migrants who are seeking refuge in the United States back across the border into Mexico to await their asylum hearings.
“More than 200 migrants were sent back to Juarez on Thursday, double the previous day, and officials expect as many as 500 migrants each day will be returned from El Paso to Juarez in coming weeks.”
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION — “Number of workplace safety inspectors fall under Trump,” by Rebecca Rainey: “Despite assurances from Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta that he will boost the number of OSHA compliance officers this fiscal year, new data shows the number of inspectors has declined. According to statistics that POLITICO obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, the number of compliance safety and health officers tasked with conducting workplace inspections at the agency had fallen in April to 870. That’s down from the 875 safety inspectors that OSHA reported in January.” POLITICO
WHAT ERIC GREITENS IS READING … “Former FBI agent who investigated Greitens indicted for perjury, evidence tampering,” by the Kansas City Star’s Crystal Thomas and Bryan Lowry: “The former FBI agent chosen by the St. Louis City prosecutor to investigate former Gov. Eric Greitens has been indicted on six counts of perjury and one count of tampering with physical evidence, according to documents unsealed Monday in St. Louis City Circuit Court.
“William Don Tisaby, 66, a private investigator, was hired by St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner to assist in a probe following allegations that Greitens took a partially nude photograph of a woman without her consent while they were having an affair in 2015. The woman was allegedly bound and blindfolded when the photo was taken, and she says he threatened to release it if she ever spoke about the affair.
“Gardner charged Greitens with invasion of privacy. But the charge was dropped when Greitens’ defense team accused Tisaby of perjury and said it planned to call Gardner at trial as a witness. …
“In the court documents made public Monday, [St. Louis Circuit Court judge Gerard] Carmody accuses Tisaby, 66, of lying multiple times during a deposition and concealing notes from Greitens’ legal team.” Kansas City Star
MEGATREND: “Africa is projected to overtake Asia in births by 2060, and will account for half of all babies being born in the world by the year 2100,” via Pew Research Center’s Tony Flores
MEDIAWATCH — Jeet Heer is joining The Nation as national affairs correspondent and Jane McAlevey as strikes correspondent, covering the labor movement. This is D.D. Guttenplan’s first week as new editor at The Nation.Jeet’s first piece
PER CALIFORNIA PLAYBOOK: “SPOTTED: Polish president President Andrzej Duda dining at John’s Grill in San Francisco on Sunday – with an entourage of 30 security officers in tow. Sources said the President – on a Western swing that also included a trip to Nevada — dined on raw oysters and a porterhouse steak, downed with Anchor Steam beer.”
TRANSITIONS — NSC DEPARTURE LOUNGE: The White House’s top Russia hand, Fiona Hill, is leaving the administration at the end of August, per the NYT’s Peter Baker. She’ll be replaced by NSC arms control specialist Tim Morrison, according to Baker, indicating Trump’s possible focus on replacing the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty.
… Amy Dacey will be the inaugural executive director of AU’s Sine Institute of Policy and Politics. She is the former CEO of the DNC and former exec director of EMILY’s List. … Jeb Fain has started as Trump war room communications director at American Bridge. He most recently was comms director for House Majority PAC.
SPOTTED at USGLC’s State Leaders Summit on Monday: HHS Secretary Alex Azar, Rick Santorum, Jennifer Granholm, Dan Glickman, Norm Coleman, Steve Hadley, Jane Harman, Nancy Lindborg, retired Lt. Gen. Michael Nagata, Melanne Verveer, Frank Sesno, Barbara Stephenson, Sarah Thorn, Leyla Santiago, Jonathan Capehart, Selina Jackson, Jenifer Healy and Liz Schrayer.
WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Justin Barasky, a senior adviser at the DSCC and a Sherrod Brown and Priorities USA alum, and Lauren Durham, former campaign manager for Kathleen Clyde’s campaign for secretary of state in Ohio, welcomed Henry Scott Barasky. Pic … Another pic
BIRTHWEEK (was yesterday): Spectator USA Life & Arts Editor Dominic Green turned 49 (hat tip: Matt McDonald) … (was Friday): NPR’s Tom Gjelten turned 71
BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: Fred Barbash, legal affairs writer for The Washington Post. A trend he thinks deserves more attention: “Sleep deprivation, often purposeful, especially in Washington. It saps our brains, causes accidents, turns young people into cranky old people and makes old people even older. It also severely reduces male reproductive capacity. Seriously. It’s a threat to the species.” Playbook Plus Q&A
BIRTHDAYS: Dina Powell … Niall Stanage, WH columnist at The Hill, is 45 … Rep. Jerry McNerney (D-Calif.) is 68 … Rep. Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.) is 7-0 … Nick Johnston, editor at Axios, is 42 … Millie Harmon Meyers (h/ts Ben Chang) … Megan Mitchell … bipartisan Senate alumni birthday: former Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) is 82 and former Sen. Mike Johanns (R-Neb.) is 69 … David Drucker is 48 … Geri M. Joseph is 96 … Reed Cordish is 45 … Scooter Braun is 38 … Ajashu Thomas … David Wood … Kate Knudson … POLITICO’s Claire Okrongly and Shannon Rafferty … Jim Stinson (h/t Jon Conradi) … Chris Allen … Bob Scutari … WNYC’s Charlie Herman … author Joanne Lipman, former EIC of USA Today … The Atlantic’s Rachel Alben (h/t Michael Falcone) … Bulgarian President Rumen Radev is 56 …
… John McCarthy, COS for Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.) … Clare Bresnahan (h/t Jill Bader) … POLITICO Europe’s Blanca Esteban Renedo is 31 … Heather Louise Finch … CNN’s DJ Judd, who is moving to Iowa in two weeks, is 29 (h/t Betsy Klein) … Kevin Landrigan … Sophia Templin … Christopher Byrd … Will Kinzel, VP at MillerCoors … Jennifer Carignan … BuzzFeed’s Mary Ann Georgantopoulos … Bert Gomez … Tom Readmond … Michael Van Der Galien … Jeremy Bronson … Meryl Governski … Craig Reed … Shubha Kamala Prasad … Narric Rome … Jason Kello … Daniel Epstein is 35 … Max Stahl is 32 … Lisa Barron … Ron Rosenblith (h/t Jon Haber) … Dick Mark … AJ Goodman (h/t Teresa Vilmain)
Hong Kong‘s leader apologised again for the turmoil surrounding a controversial extradition bill that would have allowed suspects to be sent to mainland China for trial, and indicated it would not be revived during the current legislative session.
Millions of people have taken to the streets of the semi-autonomous territory to protest the bill, which they fear would lead to critics of Beijing being targeted if passed.
Chief Executive Carrie Lam offered a “most sincere apology” on Tuesday, telling reporters at a press briefing she had heard people’s concerns “loud and clear”.
Lam stopped short of meeting protesters’ demands to scrap the bill, but said legislative work had been “stopped immediately” and there was no timetable for it to resume.
“If we don’t have confidence from the people, we will not proceed with the legislative exercise again,” Lam said.
“The effect is that the bill will lapse and the … government accepts that reality.”
‘Dissatisfaction and disappointment’
The announcement was met with cheers from protesters gathered outside the building where Lam was speaking.
The bill is due to expire in July next year.
Lam already postponed a vote on the bill by the territory’s legislature several times as protests showed no sign of winding down.
“People have expressed in a peaceful and rational manner their concerns about the Fugitive Offenders’ Ordnance and their dissatisfaction and disappointment with the government – especially me,” Lam said in her first appearance since some two million people flooded the city’s streets on Sunday, demanding her resignation.
The pro-Beijing leader, known as “the fighter” for her tough leadership style, said she planned to serve until the end of her three-year term in 2020, adding she is passionate about the future of Hong Kong and recognised those protesting shared that sentiment.
Deadline for demands
Al Jazeera’s Sarah Clarke, reporting from Hong Kong, said Lam’s apology was an attempt to defuse the growing anger in the territory.
She issued a written apology on Sunday, which many said lacked sincerity.
Protesters have given the chief executive until Thursday to withdraw the extradition bill and threatened to escalate demonstrations should she fail to do so.
“A couple of weeks ago we saw one million on the streets, Sunday we saw two million on the streets, and protesters are saying they will get more people if Carrie Lam doesn’t meet their demands by Thursday,” Clarke said.
Those protesting see the bill as a threat to the rule of law in Hong Kong, which enjoys greater freedoms than mainland China under the principle of “one country, two systems”.
The framework was put in place when Hong Kong was handed back to China by the United Kingdom in 1997, and is a frequent cause of tension between the city and the mainland.
![A wave of one metre is expected to hit the coast, according to Japan's meteorological agency [Katsumi Kasahara/AP]](https://i0.wp.com/www.aljazeera.com/mritems/imagecache/mbdxxlarge/mritems/Images/2019/6/18/0e70b4da766c49c38af27859de2e3cb5_18.jpg "Magnitude 6.8 earthquake strikes off coast of Japan")
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