Analysis: Trump faces narrow but consequential charges

Politics

By Julie Pace | Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The articles of impeachment offered up Tuesday against President Donald Trump are narrow, but consequential. They are also likely to be approved by Democrats alone.

The impending vote will thrust Trump into a club no president wants to join: only the third American leader to be impeached by the House of Representatives. He’s confronting his allegations without a hint of contrition, more eager to fight than accept blame for his actions.

House Democrats say Trump abused the American presidency for personal political gain by asking Ukraine for help investigating political rivals, including Joe Biden, the former vice president and current Democratic White House contender. And they charge he obstructed Congress by blocking access to documents and testimony, an article of impeachment aimed at reasserting the authority of a co-equal branch of government.

Some Democrats pushed for more, eager to seize the opportunity to hold Trump to account for a range of other actions, including evidence of obstruction of justice outlined in special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation.

But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi held them off, determined to put forward only articles she believes can win the support of members who — like Pelosi herself — were reluctant to launch the impeachment proceedings in the first place.

“I wish it were not necessary,” Pelosi said after the text of the articles of impeachment were made public. But she added: “We take an oath to protect and defend. If we did not do that, we would be, again, delinquent in our duties.”

While she seems to have succeeded in persuading Democrats of that view, the process — dozens of hours of public testimony from diplomats and other national security officials that left much of the evidence beyond dispute — has so far done nothing to persuade Republicans to break …read more

Source:: The Mercury News – Politics

      

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NHL sets sights on full-scale World Cup of Hockey after dropping 2021 plan

Sports

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — The earliest we’ll get to see another best-on-best international hockey competition again is the 2022 Olympics.

And the NHL’s participation in Beijing is far from a sure thing.

The league had been hoping to stage a scaled-down World Cup in February 2021, but recently decided to abandon that plan, commissioner Gary Bettman told reporters at the conclusion of Tuesday’s Board of Governors meeting.

Time simply ran out on negotiations with the NHL Players’ Association.

“It’s too big of an event to do in that short of a time frame,” said Bettman.

The NHL and NHLPA are now focused on trying to organize a full-scale World Cup tournament that includes play-ins and a proper leadup in 2024 and 2028, according to sources.

Discussions also remain open on Olympic participation, although those hinge more on what the International Olympic Committee can bring to the table — such as mitigating travel and insurance costs, or loosening the rules on footage and marketing — than any differences between the league and players.

“I think we’re all in agreement that bringing back the World Cup would be a good thing and that’s something that we’re having serious discussions with the Players’ Association on,” said Bettman. “The Olympics is a different issue. The league’s view is that it’s disruptive to the season.

“I understand the importance to the players, but there’s a whole host of problems … it’s something that’s not on the same track as the World Cup.”

The league last staged a World Cup in September 2016 and originally tried to plan a follow-up for September 2020. After that fell through, it set its sights on February 2021.

“It would be kind of a mini tournament about a week in length. Tack on a couple days to the typical all-star break and fit in an international event,” deputy commissioner Bill …read more

Source:: Sportsnet.ca

      

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Reinhart chips one past Allen just 18 seconds into game

Sports

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Source:: Sportsnet.ca

      

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