Monthly Archives: January 2020

Brand new virtual reality centre set to open in Exeter very soon – Devon Live

Posted: January 25, 2020 at 2:17 pm

Exeter is getting a brand new virtual reality centre - letting you train as a Jedi or run away from zombies.

iVR is the latest facility to be added to popular destination iBounce trampoline park and iPlay soft play centre in Exeter, Marsh Barton.

VR, which stands for Virtual Reality, is an immersive gaming concept available for single or multiplayer use.

With a wide variety of games there is something suitable for everyone as the levels go from beginner to expert.

It's easily tailored to you based on your interests, which gives you a highly personalised experienced using the latest emerging gaming technology.

The new VR centre will cater for a range of ages and is even available for private hire of up to 12 people at a time. It's also very popular when it comes to team building and corporate activity (a fun and different office day out!)

Virtual experiences:

Training as aStar Wars Jedi. Repairing and defending theMillennium Falconfrom attack byImperial Stormtroopers.

Immersing yourself deep into the heart of aZombie Apocalypse,put yoursurvival skillsto the test inArizona Sunshine.

You can use yoursports skillsto climb all the way to the top of the leader board inVR Super Sport.

Or test your fear of heights and take theride of your lifeon one of their theme parkinspired attractions

Feeling brave? not one for those scared of heights, walk the plankfrom 80 storeys high.

With a wide range of games available it's offering a next level virtual reality experience for families, friends and colleagues.

Here at Devon Live we will be giving you an exclusive first look when they are open to test out their new studio, and having a look at all of the different games.

Visit their website for more information.

Go here to read the rest:

Brand new virtual reality centre set to open in Exeter very soon - Devon Live

Posted in Virtual Reality | Comments Off on Brand new virtual reality centre set to open in Exeter very soon – Devon Live

Colonialism, Afrofuturism, Virtual Reality: the Best of the Singapore Biennale – Jakarta Globe

Posted: at 2:17 pm

Singapore. The sixth Singapore Biennale will rununtil March this year at various venues in the city-state. The biggest art event in the country displays more than 200 notable contemporary works by artists from Southeast Asia and beyond.

This year, the biennale takes on the theme of"Every Step in the Right Direction" to reflect on the conditions of contemporary lifeandis held simultaneously at 11 venues the Asian Civilization Museum, de Suantio Gallery, Esplanade Theaters, Gillman Barracks, LaSalle College of the Arts, National Gallery Singapore, National Library, National Museum of Singapore, Singapore Art Museum, Far East Plazaand W!ld Rice Funan.

But don't fret, you can easily move from onelocation to another on boardthe city's super-efficientMRT trains orpublic buses.Afree Singapore Biennale tour bus will run on weekends only (National Gallery Singapore and Gillman Barracks).

Itwill likelytake you more than two days to explore all the sites during the biennale. But Andrea Fam, the assistant curator of the Singapore Art Museum, has suggestedthis list of highlights that you simply can't miss.

'Instruction' by Wendelien van Oldenborgh

Oldenborgh is a Dutch artistwhose mother lived in Java during the Dutch occupation of Indonesia before the Second World War. Her work at the biennale, "Instruction,"exploresunresolved issues fromDutch military interventions in Indonesia.

The video installation shows four young cadets from the Royal Netherlands Military Academy readinga script written by her about her mother.

"It hastwo screens, one showing Dutch military cadetsreciting a powerful propaganda piece, and anothershowing the translation. It makes you think about language today what are we focusing on, the content of what's being said or who is sayingit?Oldenborgdemands ofus to choose the visual image or the text, when you actually have to look at both or you won't understand a thing,"Fam told the Jakarta Globe.

Olderborgh's work is on display at the National Gallery Singapore.

'Relic 3' by Larry Achiampong

British-Ghanaian Achiampong revisits the history of colonization usingscience fiction and the concept of Afrofuturism. The piece is part of a series where he explores the fictitious Relic Travellers'Alliance of the African Union. The travelers go back and forward in time and assess where and how civilization went wrong.

"I think it'sa powerful way to assess all thecraziness ofthe world today. What Larry is doing is speculating can the African continent be the one to save the world?He started off by imagining2016 as an important year, with uncertainties in the Westwhile in Africa they produced a unified passport for the whole continent,"Fam said.

Achiampong's work can be found at the National Gallery Singapore.

'Block 22' at the Gillman Barracks

Block 22 is one of three blocks at the Gillman Barracks, displaying works from Paphonosak La-or, Ruangsak Anuwatwimonand Dusadee Huntrakul from Thailand, Robert Zhao Renhui from Singaporeand Zakaria Omar from Brunei.

"It's like a mini national history museum thateffectively illustratesthe biennale. The block shows artists who are tackling the thinking of constructs itself. You have Anuwatwimon who vividly reconstructs extinct species of plants. Omar who creates atotemic monument from demolished old stilt housesand Huntrakul who questions our value system through ancient relics,"Fam said.

'An Obstacle in Every Direction' by Nabilah Nordin

Nordin's work invites us to enter a room full of objects that are unsettlingly placed to suggestfailure routes that might go somewhere, nowhereor everywhere.

"When you enter this site, you will feel uneasiness because you're in this chaos, where things look like they're about to fall apart. The uncomfortable sensation that you feel is what she wants you to experience, being vulnerable, theawkwardness that you need to embrace. It's about not taking things too seriously,"Fam said.

"I think it's an important work because it summarizes the biennale nicely. Take your time, clear your routes there is no prize in the end, but maybe you will feel ease in this world,"Fam said.

Another must-see workat the biennaleisthe award-winning virtual reality experience "La camera insabbiata (The Chalkroom)" by Laurie Anderson and Hsin-Chien Huang thatlets the audience fly througha labyrinth filled with writings and drawings.

Indonesia Represents

Works by Indonesian artists at the Singapore BiennaleincludeBoedi Widjaja's "Black-Hut, Black-Hut" on display at the National Gallery Singapore,an architectural installation inspired by the Javanese joglo house.

Also at the Gallery, Gillman Barracksand LaSalle College of the Arts, you will find a series of works byHafiz Rancajale from Pekanbaru called "Social Organism,"a rumination on Indonesia's post-Reformasi struggles.

Read more:

Colonialism, Afrofuturism, Virtual Reality: the Best of the Singapore Biennale - Jakarta Globe

Posted in Virtual Reality | Comments Off on Colonialism, Afrofuturism, Virtual Reality: the Best of the Singapore Biennale – Jakarta Globe

NexTech AR Solutions adds virtual reality to its arsenal with VRitize division – Proactive Investors USA & Canada

Posted: at 2:17 pm

The so-called "v-commerce" arm will rely on many of the same digital assets created using its augmented reality technology

NexTech AR Solutions Corp () (OTCMKTS:NEXCF), the augmented reality company, announced Wednesday that its gearing up to launch a virtual reality division called VRitize.

The new division will work hand-in-hand with its ARitize counterpart, utilizing many of the same 3D assets created for augmented reality, now as part of an immersive v-commerce experience that takes place in-store.

Combined, the VR/AR combo will help NexTech achieve its revenue goal of $20 million in 2020, the company said.

By adding VR to our product mix we are positioning NexTech as the industry leader set to dominate both the AR and VR industry for retail, CEO Evan Gappelberg said in statement. We are super excited to be able to leverage our growing 3D/AR library of assets and technical capabilities into virtual reality which compliments our AR technology stack and represents another multi-billion dollar vertical for NexTech.

The VRitize platform will include an app for both iOS and Android, the company said, and be compatible with most VR headsets, including s () Oculus.

For Gappelberg, this technology marks another seismic shift in retail.

New AR/VR technologies are starting to transform the multi-trillion dollar retail industry, just like Wamnamaker changed the game when he opened the first department store in 1876, then Sears with its massive catalog, next came the internet and Amazon which revolutionized retail with e-commerce, Gappelberg said.

Now we are entering a 4th transformational wave where AR/VR and 3D content creation are becoming essential to merchandising products both online and in brick and mortar stores. NexTech sits right at the forefront of this massive opportunity and tidal wave of innovation which is going to completely change the way we shop over the next few years."

The New York- and Toronto-based companys augmented reality offerings include AR for e-commerce, AR in Chat, its ARitize App and AR University for education and training.

Shares of NexTech jumped almost 10% to C$3.10 on the CSE and 11% to US$2.38 on OTC Markets on Wednesday.

Updated to include stock movement

Contact Andrew Kessel at [emailprotected]

Follow him on Twitter @andrew_kessel

See the original post here:

NexTech AR Solutions adds virtual reality to its arsenal with VRitize division - Proactive Investors USA & Canada

Posted in Virtual Reality | Comments Off on NexTech AR Solutions adds virtual reality to its arsenal with VRitize division – Proactive Investors USA & Canada

Peace Museum virtual reality project focuses on Northern activism – Bradford Telegraph and Argus

Posted: at 2:17 pm

THE STORY of women's activism throughout history is being chronicled in a unique virtual reality experience.

The Peace Museum, in partnership with National Lottery Project Remembering Resistance, is exploring 100 years of womens protest and activism, drawing from collections of photographs and resources from time past.

Rooted in Bradford, the viewer will walk through a march led by the Bradford Female Radical Association of 1839, encountering virtual representatives of northern women's movements chronologically through the ages.

Working alongside students from Grange School in Bradford, the project will bring together resources from The Peace Museums collection as well as material from Lancaster Universitys Remembering Resistance project.

Pupils have been exploring The Peace Museums collection of over 7000 objects relating to peaceful activism and pick out relevant artefacts, such as posters or banners. These objects will then be digitised by Lancasters team to form part of the virtual reality march.

Jude Wright, peace educator at The Peace Museum said: "We're really excited to be working with Remembering Resistance on this unique VR project.

"It's amazing that our collection is being used to form a piece of virtual reality as this is something we have never done before.

"Using our collection to explore the history of peaceful activism to inspire the next generation to see peacemaking as an active endeavour is one of the driving forces behind our work.

"We hope that the young people involved will be inspired by exploring peace objects in the museum and that the many more people who take part in the VR experience learn from the stories of protest in the North of England."

During the VR experience, viewers will be able to 'select' artefacts from the virtual march to find out more information.

Extracts from oral histories illustrating women's experiences of protest collected through Remembering Resistance will also be included in the virtual march, creating an experience for all the senses.

The virtual march will be available across different platforms, including the Google cardboard app and viewer and via a web-based platform, enabling teachers to access the materials through an interactive whiteboard.

The project will be co-ordinated by Lancaster University, co-designed with young people, delivered by education and museum professionals, and will be shared throughout the project partners networks.

Remembering Resistance: A Century of Women's Protest in the North of England has been awarded by the Heritage Fund.

Go here to read the rest:

Peace Museum virtual reality project focuses on Northern activism - Bradford Telegraph and Argus

Posted in Virtual Reality | Comments Off on Peace Museum virtual reality project focuses on Northern activism – Bradford Telegraph and Argus

Global Voice over 5G Market Outlook Report, 2020-2025: Vo5G in SmartPhones, Wearable Tech, IoT, Virtual Reality, Telepresence, Robotics, and…

Posted: at 2:17 pm

The "Voice over 5G Market by Vo5G in SmartPhones, Wearable Tech, IoT, Virtual Reality, Telepresence, Robotics and Teleoperation 2020 - 2025" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

This report evaluates the Vo5G market including companies, technologies, strategies, and solutions.

The report assesses the market potential and outlook for many Vo5G supported applications and services including enhancements to existing solutions as well as completely new user experiences and use case scenarios. It also evaluates how 5G will support various next-generation immersive apps and services such as virtual reality. The report includes detailed Vo5G market forecasts for all major equipment, application, and industry segments for the 2020 to 2025 period.

Key Findings

Voice quality gained significant ground with Voice over LTE (VoLTE) with the deployment of 4G LTE networks. Voice over 5G (Vo5G) service will build on those advancements as evolved voice systems leverage combined 5G core network elements along with IP Multimedia Systems (IMS), VoLTE enhancements, 5G Evolved Packet Core (EPC) and other 5G New Radio (5GNR) 5G radio access network equipment such as smart antennas.

Advantages of Vo5G include ultra-high definition voice/audio for both voice-only calls as well as integration with applications and content such as announcements, music, conferencing, and more. Vo5G will also provide enhanced support for real-time communications including Rich Communications Services (RCS) integration.

Real-time feature/functionality will include unprecedented interactive capabilities such as real-time language translations. Many of the more advanced functions will work only in a 5GNR environment with the support of 5G core infrastructure. Consequently, there is a need for 4G/VoLTE hand-over for a relatively smooth transition from Voice over NR (VoNR) to VoLTE when crossing into service areas lacking sufficient 5GNR coverage.

Vo5G is anticipated to become increasingly more valuable to enterprise and consumer segments coincident with the growth of next-generation applications, especially those involving immersive technologies such as augmented, virtual, and mixed reality. Anytime, anywhere telepresence, holographic communications, and telepresent robotics are some of the key solution areas that will leverage Vo5G, specifically VoNR.

Report Benefits

Key Topics Covered

1. Executive Summary

2. Introduction

2.1 Voice over IP in Cellular

2.1.1 VoIP in Wireless Networks

2.1.2 Voice over LTE

2.1.3 Voice over 5G

3. Vo5G Deployment Challenges

3.1 Vo5G Standardization

3.2 5G Service Optimization

4. Vo5G Market Dynamics

4.1 Vo5G to accelerate 5G Development

4.2 Voice Solution to Drive 5G Commercialization

4.3 5G Enabled Applications to Accelerate Vo5G

4.4 Service Assurance will be a Key Challenge

5. Vo5G Technology and Market Analysis

5.1 5G New Radio Infrastructure

5.1.1 5G Base Station

5.1.2 Small Cell

5.1.3 Macro Cell

5.1.4 Baseband Units and RF Units

5.1.5 Remote Radio Heads

5.1.6 Distributed Antenna System

5.2 IP Multimedia Subsystem

5.3 Voice over LTE (VoLTE) and IMS Functions Network for Vo5G

5.4 EPS and RAT Fall Back Multicarrier Network Solution

5.5 Artificial Intelligence to Enhance Functional Intelligence

5.6 HPC to Enhance Computing Performance

5.7 5G Security to Protect Data, Communication, and Network

6. Vo5G Ecosystem and Value Chain Analysis

6.1 Real-Time Voice and Video Communication

6.2 Mobile VoIP

6.3 SMS and USSD Solution

6.4 IoT Modular Solution

6.5 Mobile AR and VR

6.5.1 360 Video VR Experience will Play Pivotal Role

6.5.2 Real Time VR will Kick-off the Market

6.5.3 Allowing Full HD Streaming and 4K Video for VR

6.5.4 Vo5G to Take Haptic Experience Mainstream in VR Application

6.5.5 Vo5G to Allow Telecom Operators Playing Pivotal Role into VR Ecosystem

6.5.6 5G to Support Drone and Telerobotic into VR Ecosystem

6.5.7 Chip Manufacturer to Play Important Role

6.6 Automated Assistant Apps and Devices

6.7 Edge Processing for Voice Over WiFi

6.8 Enabling Network Data Analytics

6.9 CPaaS and UCaaS

6.10 Vo5G Trialand Development

6.11 Vo5G Value Chain Analysis

6.11.1 5G NR Infrastructure Providers

6.11.2 VoLTE and IMS Infrastructure Suppliers

6.11.3 Enabling Technology Providers

6.11.4 5G Device OEMs

6.11.5 Deployment and Test, Roaming, and Billing Service Providers

Story continues

6.11.6 Mobile Operators

7. Vo5G Vendor and Service Provider Analysis

7.1 CISCO Systems Inc.

7.2 Nokia Networks

7.3 Ericsson AB

7.4 Qualcomm Incorporated

7.5 Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd.

7.6 Intel Corporation

7.7 AT&T Inc.

7.8 SK Telecom Co. Ltd.

7.9 Verizon Communications

7.10 China Mobile

7.11 NTT DoCoMo Inc.

7.12 Vodafone

7.13 Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.

7.14 LG Electronics Inc.

7.15 T-Mobile US Inc.

7.16 KT Corporation

7.17 NEC Corporation

7.18 Fujitsu Ltd.

7.19 ZTE Corporation

7.20 Deutsche Telekom AG

7.21 Broadcom Corporation

7.22 LG Uplus Corp.

7.23 SingTel

7.24 Telefonica

7.25 HPE

7.26 VMware Inc.

7.27 MediaTek Inc.

7.28 Juniper Networks Inc.

7.29 Analog Devices Inc.

7.30 MACOM Technology

7.31 Orange S.A.

7.32 Cavium

7.33 Qorvo Inc.

8. Vo5G Market Analysis and Forecasts 2020-2025

8.1 Global Vo5G Market 2020-2025

More:

Global Voice over 5G Market Outlook Report, 2020-2025: Vo5G in SmartPhones, Wearable Tech, IoT, Virtual Reality, Telepresence, Robotics, and...

Posted in Virtual Reality | Comments Off on Global Voice over 5G Market Outlook Report, 2020-2025: Vo5G in SmartPhones, Wearable Tech, IoT, Virtual Reality, Telepresence, Robotics, and…

Time for Congress to undeclared wars and bring troops home – Kootenai Valley Times

Posted: at 2:16 pm

President George Washington was unambiguous: "It is our true policy to steer clear of permanent alliance with any portion of the foreign world."

President Jefferson was equally explicit: "Peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations, entangling alliances with none."

President Monroe formalized that policy. The Monroe Doctrine's first point stated the U.S. wouldn't interfere in the internal affairs or wars of other nations.

Sadly, we've abandoned the Founders' intentions, engaging in a series of undeclared wars the last 75 years at great cost of lives and treasure, forgetting Ben Franklin's wise counsel; "There never was a good war or a bad peace."

Today, in the 19th year of an undeclared war, Afghanistan has cost us thousands of lives lost, tens of thousands wounded, and $1 trillion. The broader "war on terror," including the undeclared war in Iraq, totals $7 trillion.

Why are we losing trillions of dollars and thousands of lives in foreign conflicts? Because Congress refuses to follow the Constitution and if these conflicts truly require our involvement declare war before committing American troops.

Section 8 of the Constitution makes clear: only "Congress shall have the power to declare war."

So what's the purpose of declaring war? More than just a piece of paper. Declaring war puts another country or faction on notice, changing the relationship between the citizens and governments of countries involved. Historically, letters of marque and reprisal allowed actions considered naval piracy during peace to become legal under declaration of war.

Words have meaning, and ignoring them has results; 230 years after ratifying our Constitution, the U.S. has gone from having no standing army to more military spending than the next seven highest-spending countries combined.

Attempting to be the world's police force comes at a staggering cost, compounded year after year. This year's federal deficit was $1 trillion despite record tax collections. Even if you have no moral issue with policing the world, American taxpayers simply can't afford it. We're tired of the death and destruction stretching us to the breaking point, with a record-high national debt of $23 trillion.

A poll by Concerned Veterans for America found 60 percent of veterans and military families support removing troops from Afghanistan. A Politico poll found 81 percent of Trump voters in particular support withdrawal, and Pew Research found 59 percent of adults and 58 percent of veterans said it wasn't worth fighting there in the first place. Even higher numbers agreed regarding Iraq.

As former Congressman Ron Paul wrote in his book, Freedom Under Siege: "Carelessly entering into conflicts jeopardizes our liberty. It does not protect it. Intervention abroad causes us to neglect our obligations at home. The moral and constitutional obligations of our representatives in Washington are to protect our liberty, not coddle the world, precipitating no-win wars, while bringing bankruptcy and economic turmoil to our people."

And as President Trump said in his 2019 State of the Union Address, "Great nations do not fight endless wars ... After two decades of war, the hour has come to at least try for peace."

I agree. I support our troops. I salute their commitment and heroism. What I cannot support are unconstitutional, undeclared wars that force our troops to fight and die in foreign lands.

Congress has a duty and obligation to decide when war is necessary and when it's not, but they have refused to declare war or to exercise responsible oversight over use of our military. To abdicate this vital responsibility to the executive branch is a dereliction of duty.

But we have a duty and opportunity to act here at home as well.

Recently, the Idaho Republican Party's state central committee adopted resolutions urging our Congressional delegation to support President Trump's efforts to end what he called "these ridiculous endless wars" and bring our troops home.

As lieutenant governor, I support efforts by Representative Tammy Nichols backed by former Idaho National Guard Sergeant Dan McKnight and BringOurTroopsHome.US to enact "Defend the Guard" legislation requiring that Idaho's Guard personnel shall not be activated for combat duty overseas unless Congress has first declared war.

In November, I chaired a meeting of state legislators in Washington, D.C., who plan to introduce similar legislation in multiple states.

It's time to leave Afghanistan and Iraq and stop engaging in undeclared wars and attempts to police the world. We shouldn't sacrifice American lives intervening in the conflicts of other nations, and we can't afford it.

Congress should do their job, end these undeclared wars and bring our troops home.

Read the original here:
Time for Congress to undeclared wars and bring troops home - Kootenai Valley Times

Posted in Ron Paul | Comments Off on Time for Congress to undeclared wars and bring troops home – Kootenai Valley Times

The Best Defense of Donald Trump – The New Republic

Posted: at 2:15 pm

Trumps critics, including myself, have argued that the president placed his own political future above the nations interests. Blackman says that the calculus isnt that simple. Politicians pursue public policy, as they see it, coupled with a concern about their own political future, he wrote. Otherwise legal conduct, even when plainly politically motivatedbut without moving beyond a threshold of personal political gaindoes not amount to an impeachable abuse of power. The Houses shortsighted standard will fail to knock out Mr. Trump but, if taken seriously, threatens to put virtually every elected official in peril. The voters, and not Congress, should decide whether to reward or punish this self-serving feature of our political order.

He elaborated on his argument in an accompanying post at Reason, citing The Times length constraints. (For that same reason, he only addresses the abuse-of-power charge and not the obstruction charge.) Politicians routinely promote their understanding of the general welfare, while, in the back of their minds, considering how those actions will affect their popularity, he explained. Often, the two concepts overlap: Whats good for the country is good for the officials re-election. All politicians understand this dynamic, evenor perhaps especiallyMr. Trump. And there is nothing corrupt about acting based on such competing and overlapping concerns.

If Trump had withheld military aid and diplomatic favor from Ukraine out of legitimate concerns about widespread corruption, Blackmans argument here would carry more weight. But as Case Western Reserve University law professor Jonathan Adler noted in a separate Reason piece, the facts suggest otherwise. As virtually all of the evidence in the record shows, what [Trump] asked for was the announcement of an investigation, and that he had no interest in combating actual corruption of any kind, he wrote. This difference may seem small, but it is keyand Joshs argument only works if this distinction is obscured.

To build his case, Blackman asserts that Trump is not the first president to consider his political future while executing the office. One of his two examples is a letter from President Abraham Lincoln to General William Sherman on September 19, 1864 about Indianas elections that fall. In the letter, Lincoln asks Sherman to let as many soldiers in his army from Indiana return home to vote as possible. The State election of Indiana occurs on the 11th of October, and the loss of it to the friends of the Government would go far towards losing the whole Union cause, he wrote. The bad effect upon the November election, and especially the giving the State Government to those who will oppose the war in every possible way, are too much to risk, if it can possible [sic] be avoided.

See more here:

The Best Defense of Donald Trump - The New Republic

Posted in Donald Trump | Comments Off on The Best Defense of Donald Trump – The New Republic

Donald Trump Defense Team Argues That Impeachment Process, Set out in Constitution, is Unconstitutional – The Daily Beast

Posted: at 2:15 pm

President Donald Trumps impeachment defense team launched its case on Saturday playing excerpts of the dramatization from the House impeachment proceedings delivered by Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-California) and arguing that removing a president by impeachmentas set forth in the constitutionis unconstitutional. Pat Cipollone, the White House counsel, told the Senate that the impeachment trial is the most massive interference in an election in American history...Theyre asking you to remove President Trump from the ballot. He went on to say that impeachment "would violate our Constitution. It would violate our history. It would violate our obligations to the future. Earlier in the week, Trumps lawyers previewed their remarks in the Senate, claiming in a legal filing that the articles of impeachment are constitutionally invalid on their face and violate the Constitution because they flagrantly denied the President any due process rights.

Mike Purpura then took the floor and, using a series of slides, argued that the Ukraine did not even know that aid was deferred and, playing various excerpts from the House impeaching proceedings, said no one involved with the now infamous July 25 call between the president and Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky was at all concerned at the time.

This story is developing.

See the original post here:

Donald Trump Defense Team Argues That Impeachment Process, Set out in Constitution, is Unconstitutional - The Daily Beast

Posted in Donald Trump | Comments Off on Donald Trump Defense Team Argues That Impeachment Process, Set out in Constitution, is Unconstitutional – The Daily Beast

Donald Trump Did a Zillion Tweets Today and Each One Is Terrible – Mother Jones

Posted: at 2:15 pm

As day two of his impeachment trial began in the Senate, President Donald Trump departed Switzerland, en route to Washington, DC.

The trip to Davos, a high-powered conference for the jet set and global elite, was very successful, the third president ever to be impeached said. For USA.

Had the conference not gone well for other countries? Unclear. What was it George Washington said during his Second Inaugural? Screw em or some such?

The flight wentwell, it went. The flight flew and didnt crash. So in that sense, it was a good flight. But how did the flight go in relative terms to most flights? Maybe not so great.

The president broke a personal record for most tweets and retweets.

He did some retweets of people saying nice things about him.

He retweeted some videos of himself complaining about democrats.

He retweeted some compliments from his sons, Don Jr. and Mike.

He retweeted some weird tweets by the guy who runs social media for his campaign.

He tweeted no pressure before immediately retweeting a set of tweets from a congressman credibly accused of failing to report sexual abuse.

He then sent about a million retweets of crazy people I am not going to bother putting here.

Finally, he topped it off with a Trump golden classic, threatening immigrants:

We wish he could have stayed in Davos longer, many Americans and no Swiss thought.

tl;dr: Donald Trump spent this Wednesday the same way he spends most Wednesdays, the only difference being this Wednesday he was live-tweeting Fox News on a plane and also facing removal from office in the Senate.

Read more:

Donald Trump Did a Zillion Tweets Today and Each One Is Terrible - Mother Jones

Posted in Donald Trump | Comments Off on Donald Trump Did a Zillion Tweets Today and Each One Is Terrible – Mother Jones

What law did Donald Trump break? | TheHill – The Hill

Posted: at 2:15 pm

On the day House managers transmitted two articles of impeachment to the Senate, the Government Accountability Office, a nonpartisan public auditor, reported that President TrumpDonald John TrumpTrump says his advice to impeachment defense team is 'just be honest' Trump expands tariffs on steel and aluminum imports CNN's Axelrod says impeachment didn't come up until 80 minutes into focus group MORE violated the Impoundment Control Act by unilaterally withholding $214 million of legislatively appropriated Defense Department aid for Ukraine without obtaining authorization from Congress. Faithful execution of the law does not permit the president to substitute his own policy priorities for those that Congress has enacted into law, the Government Accountability Office concluded.

A violation of the Impoundment Control Act is not a minor technicality. At the height of the Watergate scandal in 1974, Congress passed the law to prevent a rogue president like Richard Nixon from withholding lawfully appropriated funds. A president who seeks to put a hold on such funds for policy purposes must transmit to both the House and Senate a special message specifying the amount of budget authority which he proposes to be rescinded or which is to be so reserved and the reasons why the budget authority should be rescinded or is to be so reserved.

Recent documents released through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit by American Oversight and unredacted by Just Security disclose that the White House Office of Management and Budget had blocked the military aid under direct orders from the president and knowingly failed to file a report with Congress. Last August, Elaine McCusker, acting comptroller of the Defense Department, had asked Michael Duffey, associate director for national security programs with the Office of Management and Budget, What is the status of the impoundment paperwork? Duffey replied, I am not tracking that. Is that something you are expecting? McCusker said yes, but the paperwork never showed. Duffey said in an email that there was clear direction from the president to continue to hold.

Trump disputed the conclusion of the Government Accountability Office, saying that he acted lawfully under his authority to carry out American foreign policy. Rather than forthrightly putting his concerns in the legally required memo, Trump only mentioned after the fact that he was fighting corruption in Ukraine and getting European nations to contribute their fair share of aid. The evidence shows that both claims are pretextual.

The White House readout of his congratulatory call with president elect Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine last April said that Trump expressed his commitment" to work with Zelensky to root out corruption. But despite the urging of his national security team, the call transcript shows that Trump never once raised the issue of Ukrainian corruption. In his second call to Zelensky in July, Trump again failed to mention corruption. Instead, in the context of discussing American military aid, he asked Zelensky to investigate political rival Joe Biden and the discredited propaganda line that it was Ukraine, not Russia, that interfered in the 2016 election.

Last May, the Defense Department certified that Ukraine had indeed met the anticorruption benchmarks needed to support programs and receive the military aid. Instead, Trump blocked this implementation and ordered no additional review of corruption in Ukraine. Indeed, Trump has shown no interest in fighting corruption in Ukraine or anywhere else. His recent budgets have proposed massive cuts in corruption aid to Ukraine and other nations. Congress rejected his plan to slash anticorruption aid to Ukraine by 57 percent down to $13 million. Trump fired Marie Yovanovitch, the American ambassador to Ukraine who focused on anticorruption, after his attorney Rudy Giuliani organized a smear campaign against her.

In September, Zelensky proposed new laws and a court system to fight corruption. Despite these anticorruption initiatives, Trump continued to hold the aid and released it only after House committees had learned of a whistleblower complaint that the administration tried to cover up. Those House committees announced the opening of investigations into the alleged pressure campaign by Trump and Giuliani in Ukraine.

European nations have not lagged behind the United States in funding aid to Ukraine. Europe and its financial institutions have documented some $16 billion in grants and loans to Ukraine since 2014, which well exceeds contributions by the United States. In his testimony, Gordon Sondland, American ambassador to the European Union, did not reference any approach to European nations about their assistance to Ukraine.

The plausible explanation for the illegal conduct of the president is that he wanted to keep his hold on the aid to Ukraine secret because it had lacked a legitimate policy justification. The Senate will now test at trial the House claim that Trump withheld the aid to pressure Ukraine into announcing investigations that would help him cheat in the 2020 election.

Allan Lichtman is an election forecaster and distinguished professor of history at American University. He is the author of the forthcoming book Repeal the Second Amendment and is on Twitter at @AllanLichtman.

Originally posted here:

What law did Donald Trump break? | TheHill - The Hill

Posted in Donald Trump | Comments Off on What law did Donald Trump break? | TheHill – The Hill