Fox News impeachment ratings skyrocket for Trump legal team defense

Fox News’s coverage of President Trump’s Senate impeachment trial saw a dramatic rise in viewership when it was time for the president’s legal team to start its defense.

Trump’s team began a three-day defense of the president on Saturday, and 4.2 million people tuned in to watch it on Fox News, according to Nielsen Media Research. The network also recorded more than 750,000 viewers in the key 25-54 age demographic, marking the largest audience for any day of the trial on any of the cable television networks and surpassing Fox’s coverage on the first day of the trial.

Before Saturday’s coverage, the most watched day of the trial on any network was last Tuesday. Fox News saw 2.6 million viewers and 431,000 in the key demographic that day, which was the first day of the trial. Saturday’s ratings, however, beat out their Tuesday coverage by more than 1.5 million viewers. During the three days in which the House impeachment managers laid out their case for removing the president from office, Fox News had an average of 1.6 million people tuning in.

Outside Groups for House Republicans Raise Off-Year Record of $68 Million

Republicans’ Congressional Leadership Fund (CLF) and American Action Network (AAN) raised $68 million combined in 2019 — a record for an off-year.

The fundraising haul is significant, particularly for an off-year where the GOP holds a minority in the House. As the Politico Playbook reports, the amount raised comes as a surprise “because House Republicans are in the minority, and conventional wisdom holds that they don’t have a pathway out.”

Additionally, CLF, which raised $32.6 million alone, has $28 million cash on hand, which is “the most it has ever had going into an election year and twice as much as ever before.”

Last time around, fundraising efforts rallied around a singular issue, tax reform, but this haul is significant, as it “illustrates that donors believe Republicans have a decent chance of putting up a fight to win back the House,” per Politico‘s Playbook.

Race relations and ‘position’ of minorities better under Trump than Obama

Satisfaction with race relations in the United States has jumped under President Trump, the latest indication that the Republican is making significant inroads with blacks and other minorities in advance of the 2020 presidential election.

New details from a Gallup survey on satisfaction said race relations and the “position” of minorities under Trump are far higher than they were under President Barack Obama, the nation’s first black president.

Race relations scored the highest satisfaction advance, 14 points, from 22% at the end of the Obama administration to 36% this month, said Gallup.

Week 3

Session is really picking up as Legislators submit their bills to be heard in Committee and on the House Floor. As bills are submitted, we are always working to address the concerns of our constituents on the Eastern Shore. We have a few bills in the drafting process and have especially been working to restore municipal highway user revenues. The bill would not only assist the current needs of road maintenance but it would also establish a long-term source of funding for future municipal transportation projects. As a member of the Environment and Transportation Committee, I am hopeful that this will provide us with opportunities in targeting highway user revenues. We passed a bill in 2018 and we are looking forward to working with the Legislature, Speaker Jones and Governor Hogan to get these restored for years to come.

Last week in committee we heard briefings in several areas including the state of the bay. My colleagues and I are committed to working towards healthier waterways throughout Maryland.

Governor Hogan

Last week, Governor Hogan announced a $1 billion tax relief proposal to make it more affordable for retirees to stay in Maryland. This legislation will lower taxes for more than 200,000 Marylander’s and will provide much needed relief to those who have dedicated years to our state’s economy. You can find more information on this proposal here.

Governor Hogan also announced his proposal for the largest school construction initiative in state history. He has introduced the Building Opportunity Act of 2020, which will provide $3.9 billion in school construction funding over the next five years. It is expected to create more than 27,000 new jobs and fulfill every funding request submitted by Maryland school systems. We are grateful to the Hogan Administration for continuing to put education on the forefront.

Eastern Shore Delegation

Last week we heard from several groups in Delegation including Choptank Electric Cooperative. Delegate Sheree Sample- Hughes and various members of the Eastern Shore Delegation are sponsoring a bill that will allow Choptank Electric Cooperative to provide reliable internet access to people living throughout Choptank’s service area. Current state restrictions prevent Choptank members from delivering broadband quickly and efficiently and with 36% of Marylanders without internet that meet FCC standards, this presents a huge problem on the Eastern Shore. I plan to co-sponsor this legislation to make Choptank Cooperative a member-regulated utility. We have been getting emails from hundreds of people around the state who support this initiative and will be sure to keep you updated as this bill moves through the legislature.

On Monday, we attended the Taste of Maryland Reception that featured restaurants from across the state. We were excited to see our friends from Evo who’s craft beers were a huge hit!

The 2020 Scholarship is now open! Please email carl.anderton@house.state.md.us to receive the application.

Thank you for the continuous support! If you would like to contact us with an idea, issue, or concern, please either call: 410-841-3431 or email Carl.Anderton@house.state.md.us. We look forward to hearing from you!

Mongolia closes border with China, shuts down ALL universities & training centers to stop coronavirus spread

China’s northern neighbor Mongolia has decided to close border crossings and all universities across the country, in a bid to stop the rapid spread of the previously-unknown coronavirus that has killed more than 80 people.

All border crossings with China will remain closed for vehicles and pedestrians from Monday until March 2, the state-run Montsame News Agency reported, citing a government meeting. No restrictions were placed on railways and air travel.

All universities, vocational training centers and the popular Nairamdal international youth camp will also be closed during this time period.

When you get CNN to make statements like this, you know you've won.

Congrats especially to @PamBondi and Eric Herschmann. #ImpeachmentTrial #Impeachment pic.twitter.com/LozEjNzUi5

— Raheem Kassam (@RaheemKassam) January 27, 2020

Trump ally invokes Schumer’s intelligence ‘revenge’ warning after Bolton manuscript leaks

A top Republican called attention to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s warning to President Trump about crossing the intelligence community.

Rep. Andy Biggs recalled a quote by Schumer after details of former national security adviser John Bolton’s book, a draft of which was submitted to the National Security Council for a review, leaked to the media, and shook up the impeachment debate over calling witnesses.

“As more leaks & hearsay are ushered into the #ImpeachmentTrial, remember Chuck Schumer’s warning about the revenge of the intel community,” the Arizona Republican said in a tweet Monday.

‘No experience’: Trump impeachment lawyer rips Hunter Biden Burisma employment

A defense attorney for President Trump’s Senate impeachment trial slammed Hunter Biden’s employment with Ukrainian gas company Burisma Holdings, saying the former vice president’s son lacked the experience necessary to land the job and its salary.

“Hunter Biden is paid over $83,000 a month, while the average American family of four during that time, each year, made less than $54,000, and that’s according to U.S. Census Bureau during that time,” said Pam Bondi.

Bondi, 54, submitted a list of articles she said shows Biden did not have the background required to sit on the board of Burisma. She suggested it was his connection to his father that helped secure the lucrative gig and shield him from legal and congressional inquiries.

Bloomberg News runs first investigative story on company owner and presidential candidate

After months of hand-wringing over how it would cover its boss, Bloomberg News ran a story questioning how 2020 Democrat Michael Bloomberg would pay for campaign spending promises.

Bloomberg News reported over the weekend that the billionaire co-founder and CEO of Bloomberg LP’s delay in putting out his tax plan was fueling uncertainty regarding how he would pay for the pitches he is making to Democrats. Since announcing his candidacy for the White House in November, Bloomberg, 77, has rolled out proposals such as $1.5 trillion healthcare and $1.2 trillion infrastructure platforms.

“The media has started to notice, as one recent Associated Press article led off by noting the lack of details about paying for a promise to create millions of new jobs,” Bloomberg News reporter Mark Niquette wrote.

Justices Allow Enforcement of New Green Card Rule

A divided Supreme Court on Monday allowed the Trump administration to put in place a policy connecting the use of public benefits with whether immigrants could become permanent residents.

The new policy can be used to deny green cards to immigrants over their use of public benefits including Medicaid, food stamps and housing vouchers, as well as other factors.

The justices’ order came by a 5-4 vote and reversed a ruling from the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York that had kept in a place a nationwide hold on the policy following lawsuits that have been filed against it.

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Singapore News Channel, Singapore News Network