Crosstalk: February 3, 2020

Here’s a sample of the news story lineup from this week’s edition of the ‘Round-Up’:

–Chief Justice John Roberts declined to read a sensitive question from Senator Rand Paul during the impeachment trial on Thursday.

–In an interview last August, National Security Adviser John Bolton described President Trump’s 2 phone calls with the Ukrainian leader as ,’warm and cordial.’ 

–Senator Ted Cruz said he’s going to vote that they don’t need any more witnesses, that they’ve heard all the evidence and that the House managers have failed.

–Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski has said she’s against the calling of witnesses in the impeachment trial.

–House Speaker Nancy Pelosi claimed that if President Trump is acquitted by the Senate, he will not actually be acquitted because she believes you can’t be acquitted if you don’t have a trial, and you don’t have a trial if there are no witnesses.

–According to a Washington Post/ABC News poll, President Trump’s approval rating has climbed to match the highest ratings of his presidency.   

–Two people arrested in South Florida after breaching security checkpoints around Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida.

–Former Trump Campaign Adviser Carter Page filed a lawsuit yesterday in federal court against the Democratic National Committee law firm tied to funding of the unverified dossier that served as a basis for the controversial surveillance warrants against him (the FISA warrants). 

–Thousands of Palestinians take to the streets in Gaza to burn pictures of President Trump over his Israeli/Palestinian peace plan without even seeing it.

–Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar and the UAE issued statements on Tuesday welcoming the Trump administration’s peace plan.

–Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, has taken a special interest in the unrest in Iran and would like to visit that nation again.  

–A newly formed Swedish political party has proposed making all Muslims in Sweden   a special minority, claiming that Muslims suffer daily from violence and verbal attacks.

–Uganda may be the next nation to officially move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. 

–Senator Elizabeth Warren released a plan to fight digital disinformation promising to push for new laws that would impose tough civil and criminal penalties for disseminating false information related to U.S. elections.

–Senator Elizabeth Warren blamed President Trump for disease outbreaks.

–Although animal born, the coronavirus may have originated in a laboratory in a Chinese city and is all part of their covert biological weapons program.

–Drag queens to make their first Super Bowl ad appearance.

–A pro-life organization called out the Fox Sports Network for stonewalling them for six months in attempts to obtain approval to air a pro-life ad during the Super Bowl.

–A first grade class in a Brooklyn, New York, public school will host a ‘drag queen’ story hour.

–Sesame Street is about to get an infusion of LGBT ‘vibes’ via an upcoming guest appearance by actor and LGBT activist Billy Porter.