Since the last time Donald Trump held a news conference, the Chicago Cubs won the World Series , Fidel Castro died , Mother Teresa became a saint and, oh yeah, he won the presidential election.
A lot has happened in 167 days, and a lot of questions have built up for the president-elect, who will finally end his news conference drought Wednesday. I reached out to about two dozen journalists who cover Trump to find out what they would like to ask him, if they get the chance.
Some didn’t want to tip their hands, but nine agreed to share a question (or two) from their lists, on the condition that I not publish their names. The journalists represent nine different news outlets from the left, right and center; none work for The Washington Post.
The idea was to get a feel for what the press corps is most interested in. One subject came up repeatedly: Russia.
Here are the questions on reporters’ minds, as told to me:
1. “Why do you think President Putin wanted you to win?”
2. “Do you want to ban Muslims from entering the United States or just limit visas from countries with a history of terrorism?”
3. “I’d want to know more specifics on Obamacare repeal — how he would actually maintain coverage for people if things like the individual mandate are removed before a replacement is voted in.”
4. “I would probably ask him how his plan to stabilize the U. S. relationship with Russia is any different from President Obama’s ‘Russian Reset,’ which he mocked repeatedly. Setting aside the whole Russian hacking issue, we’ve already seen one attempt to normalize relations with the Kremlin fail miserably, and I would want to ask him what specifically he would do differently than Obama, especially since he made fun of Hillary Clinton mercilessly for the red ‘reset’ button she presented [Russian Foreign Minister Sergei] Lavrov in 2009, but his plan seems more or less the same than the one she was executing at the time.”
5. “Will the Justice Department under a Trump administration, with [Jeff] Sessions presumably the AG, vigorously enforce federal laws governing marijuana in states that have legalized/decriminalized pot use for either medicinal or recreational use?”
6. “Since the election, some of your aides have said that the media takes you too literally. You yourself said you were surprised that your supporters took you seriously when you said ‘Carrier will never leave,’ calling it a euphemism. Once you’re in the White House, should the press and the American public take what you say and tweet literally or not?”
7. “I’d want to know how he thinks he’s ‘draining the swamp’ when most of his nominations are wealthy business types and associates, cronies or family members. Also, what’s the thinking behind dumping the experienced and knowledgeable Charlie Brotman (by email no less) from the inauguration announcing duties in favor of a supporter?”
8. “I’d like to ask the president-elect about his relationship with the intelligence community and how he feels about using torture on detainees.”
9. “Does he fully accept the conclusions of the intelligence community report on Russian hacking? If so, why such a positive approach to Putin? If not, what does that say about his view of U. S. intelligence capabilities?”

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Sentiment rank: -2

© Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/01/10/9-questions-reporters-want-to-ask-donald-trump-at-his-news-conference/
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Posted 6:51 p.m. today
Updated 7:07 p.m. today
By MEG KINNARD and JEFFREY COLLINS, Associated Press
CHARLESTON, S. C. — An unrepentant Dylann Roof was sentenced to death Tuesday for fatally shooting nine black church members during a Bible study session, becoming the first person ordered executed for a federal hate crime.
A jury deliberated for about three hours before returning with the decision, capping a trial in which the 22-year-old avowed white supremacist did not fight for his life or show any remorse. He served as his own attorney during sentencing and never asked for forgiveness or mercy or explained the massacre.
Hours earlier, Roof threw away one last chance to plead for his life, telling jurors, «I still feel like I had to do it. »
The slain included the Rev. Clementa Pinckney, the church pastor and a state senator, as well as other pillars of the community: a high school track coach, the church sexton, a librarian and an aspiring poet. They all shared deep devotion to the church, known as Mother Emanuel, and passed that faith along to their families, many of whom offered Roof forgiveness when he appeared in court just days after the attack.
As Roof spoke Tuesday for about five minutes, every juror looked directly at him. A few nodded as he reminded them that they said during jury selection they could fairly weigh the factors of his case. Only one of them, he noted, had to disagree to spare him from a lethal injection.
«I have the right to ask you to give me a life sentence, but I’m not sure what good it would do anyway,» he said.
When the verdict was read, he stood stoic. Several family members of victims wiped away quiet tears.
Roof told FBI agents when they arrested him after the June 17, 2015, slayings that he wanted the shootings to bring back segregation or perhaps start a race war. Instead, the slayings had a unifying effect, as South Carolina removed the Confederate flag from its Statehouse for the first time in more than 50 years. Other states followed suit, taking down Confederate banners and monuments. Roof had posed with the flag in photos.
Malcolm Graham, whose sister Cynthia Hurd was slain, said the jury made the right decision.
«There is no room in America’s smallest jail cell for hatred, racism and discrimination,» he said from his home in Charlotte, North Carolina. «The journey for me and my family today has come to an end. »
One of Hurd’s other brothers, Melvin Graham, said the jury’s decision «was a very hollow victory» because his sister is still gone.
«He decided the day, the hour and minute my sister was going to die. Now someone is going to do it for him,» he said.
Roof specifically selected Emanuel AME Church, the South’s oldest black church, to carry out the cold, calculated slaughter, Assistant U. S. Attorney Jay Richardson said.
The 12 people he targeted opened the door for a stranger with a smile, he said. Three people survived the attack.
«They welcomed a 13th person that night … with a kind word, a Bible, a handout and a chair,» Richardson said during his closing argument. «He had come with a hateful heart and a Glock.45. »
The gunman sat with the Bible study group for about 45 minutes. During the final prayer — when everyone’s eyes were closed — he started firing. He stood over some of the fallen victims, shooting them again as they lay on the floor, Richardson said.
The prosecutor reminded jurors about each one of the victims and the bloody scene that Roof left in the church’s lower level.
Nearly two dozen friends and relatives of the victims testified during the sentencing phase of the trial. They shared cherished memories and talked about a future without a mother, father, sister or brother. They shed tears, and their voices shook, but none of them said whether Roof should face the death penalty.
The prosecutor reminded jurors that Clementa Pinckney would be remembered for singing goofy songs and watching cartoons with his young daughters. In a sign of perhaps how important that testimony was, jurors re-watched a speech by Pinckney in which he talked about the history of Emanuel and its mission.
The jury convicted Roof last month of all 33 federal charges he faced, including hate crimes. He never explained his actions to jurors, saying only that «anyone who hates anything in their mind has a good reason for it. »
Roof insisted that he was not mentally ill and did not call any witnesses or present any evidence.
In one of his journals, he wrote that he did not believe in psychology, calling it «a Jewish invention» that «does nothing but invent diseases and tell people they have problems when they don’t. »
His attorneys said he did not want to present any evidence that might embarrass him or his family.
After he was sentenced, Roof asked a judge to appoint him new attorneys, but the judge said he was not inclined to do so because they had performed «admirably. »
«We are sorry that, despite our best efforts, the legal proceedings have shed so little light on the reasons for this tragedy,» the attorneys said in a veiled reference to the mental health issues they wanted to present.
A judge will formally sentence him during a hearing Wednesday. Roof also faces a death penalty trial in state court.
The last person sent to federal death row was Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev in 2015.
___
Associated Press Writer Alex Sanz contributed to this report.
___
Kinnard can be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP. Read more of her work at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/meg-kinnard/ .
Follow Jeffrey Collins on Twitter at http://twitter.com/JSCollinsAP. His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/jeffrey-collins .

Similarity rank: 22

Sentiment rank: -91.1

© Source: http://www.wral.com/roof-s-fate-soon-will-rest-in-hands-of-12-federal-jurors/16419382/
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President Barack Obama has called on Americans to defend their democracy in his farewell speech in Chicago.
«By almost every measure, America is a better, stronger place» than it was eight years ago when he took office, he told thousands of supporters.
But he warned «democracy is threatened whenever we take it for granted».
He implored Americans of all backgrounds to consider things from each others point of view, saying «we have to pay attention and listen».
The country’s first black president, now 55, was first elected in 2008 on a message of hope and change.
His successor, Donald Trump, has vowed to undo some of Mr Obama’s signature policies. He will be sworn into office on 20 January.
Raucous chants of «four more years» from the crowd were brushed aside by the president. «I can’t do that,» he said. US presidents are limited to two terms by the constitution.
Striking an upbeat tone, Mr Obama said that the peaceful transfer of power between presidents was a «hallmark» of American democracy.
But, he outlined three threats to American democracy — economic inequality, racial divisions and the retreat of different segments of society into «bubbles», where opinions are not based on «some common baseline of facts».
In his closing remarks he said he had one final request for Americans as president: «I am asking you to believe. Not in my ability to bring about change — but in yours. »
Returning to Chicago, where he first declared victory in 2008, Mr Obama delivered a mostly positive message to Americans after a divisive election campaign which saw to Mr Trump defeat Democrat Hillary Clinton.
Mr Obama said that young Americans — including those who worked on his campaigns, and who believe «in a fair, just, inclusive America» — left him feeling «even more optimistic about this country than I was when we started».
In choosing Chicago, Mr Obama had earlier said he wanted to return to «where it all started» for him and First Lady Michelle Obama, instead of delivering the speech from the White House.
The address was written with the idea of speaking to all Americans, including Trump supporters, officials said.
Mr Obama’s trip to Chicago is his last as president, and his 445th journey aboard Air Force One.
He said it was in the city as a young man, «still trying to figure out who I was, still searching for purpose in my life», that he «witnesses the power of faith and dignity of working people in the face of struggle and loss».
«This is where I learned that change only happens when ordinary people get involved and they get engaged and they come together to demand it,» he said. «After eight years as your president I still believe that. »
More than 20,000 people had been expected to attend the farewell address at McCormick Place, the largest convention centre in North America and the venue for Mr Obama’s speech after he defeated Mitt Romney in the 2012 election.
The tickets were given out free, but were selling online for more than $1,000 (£820) each hours ahead of the speech.
On race
After my election, there was talk of a post-racial America. Such a vision, however well-intended, was never realistic. For race remains a potent and often divisive force in our society. I’ve lived long enough to know that race relations are better than they were 10, or 20, or 30 years ago.
On his achievements
If I had told you eight years ago that America would reverse a great recession, reboot our auto industry, and unleash the longest stretch of job creation in our history… If I had told you that we would open up a new chapter with the Cuban people, shut down Iran’s nuclear weapons programme without firing a shot, and take out the mastermind of 9/11… If I had told you that we would win marriage equality, and secure the right to health insurance for another 20 million of our fellow citizens — you might have said our sights were set a little too high.
On Michelle Obama
For the past 25 years, you’ve been not only my wife and mother of my children, but my best friend. You took on a role you didn’t ask for and made it your own with grace and grit and style and good humour. You made the White House a place that belongs to everybody.
Presidential farewell addresses have long been an American political tradition.
Former Presidents George W Bush and Bill Clinton delivered theirs from the White House, while George Bush Snr gave his at the West Point military academy.
As he leaves the White House, President Obama is viewed favourably by 57% of Americans, according to an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll, a similar level to Bill Clinton when he left office.

Similarity rank: 32

Sentiment rank: 3.4

© Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-38578985
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